Environmental Stewardship Awards
the 2024 Environmental Award Nominations are now live!
The Wheatland County Agricultural Service Board (ASB) is committed to strengthening, promoting, and supporting agriculture and the environment within our municipality with a view to continually improve how we operate in future years. The ASB develops and implements programs and policies that focus on the areas of weeds, pests, soil and water conservation, and environmental issues for the benefit of all residents.
The Wheatland County ASB presents the Environmental Stewardship Award as a way to recognize and reward notable efforts within the community to practice and promote environmental stewardship and innovation. Three Environmental Stewardship Awards are available per year in the following categories:
- The Community Stewardship Award
The Environmental Stewardship Award recognizes a Wheatland County community member or group that has made an outstanding contribution to environmental sustainability in the municipality. - Youth Stewardship
The Youth Stewardship Award was developed to recognize the importance of engaging youth in environmental stewardship initiatives, as the youth of today represent future generations of the Wheatland County community. - J. Laslo Legacy Award
The J. Laslo Legacy Award will be awarded to an agricultural producer in Wheatland County that has shown exemplary leadership in the implementation of beneficial management practices on their farm.
2022 Environmental Stewardship Award Winners
The Youth Stewardship Awarded to: Mrs. Wades 5/6 class
Wheatland County’s Agricultural Service Board presents the Environmental Stewardship Award program as a way to recognize and reward notable efforts within the community to practice environmental stewardship and innovation.
Wheatland County’s Youth Stewardship Award was developed to recognize the importance of engaging youth in environmental stewardship initiatives, as the youth of today represent future generations of the Wheatland County community. We are proud to acknowledge the achievements and involvement of our youngest community members, as they inspire us to lead by example and sustain our environment for their benefit.
We would like to congratulate Mrs. Wades 5/6 class with the 2022 Youth Stewardship Award!
While partnering with Nutrien as well as a Siksika Elder Darrell Breaker, Mrs. Wades 5/6 class created the Ik Ka Nutsi at Wyndham Park Program. Through this program the students have created QR codes along a trail at Wyndham Park. Not only do these codes teach history and a Blackfoot connection, but they also tell an overall message about the coded trail and how to take better care of our planet.
The J. Laslo Legacy Award presented to: Treacy Family
Our J. Laslo Legacy Award category was named in honor of the retirement of long-term Wheatland County employee Mr. Jim Laslo. During his career, Jim was Wheatland County’s Agricultural Fieldman, and then General Manager of Agriculture, Community, and Protective Services. Jim’s passion for education and outreach about agricultural conservation initiatives, and dedication to harnessing the innovation of the agricultural community, lead to the uptake of sustainable agriculture practices throughout the municipality. The J. Laslo Legacy Award is presented annually to an agricultural producer in Wheatland County that has shown exemplary leadership in the implementation of beneficial management practices on their farm. Recipients show dedication to reducing the environmental impacts of their operation and make effort to promote lessons-learned through their work to others in the industry. We are pleased to present this well-deserved award to the Treacy Family!
The Treacy family operates Indian Springs Land and Cattle in the Wintering Hills of Wheatland County. Mitch and Rhonda, along with their daughter Abbey and son Cade with his wife Shae (the sixth generation to live and work here), use responsible management practices to steward the land, through practices such as no till seeding of legume cover crops, managed grazing, and conservation of native grassland. This in turn contributes to soil quality, increasing water absorption, decreasing runoff, building drought resistance, and recycled nutrients, while mitigating soil and water erosion, soil compaction, and loss of pollinating insect species. Our native grasslands play a critical role in carbon sequestration and in maintaining habitat for wildlife and ecological biodiversity. The Treacy family also works with renewable energy developers to facilitate wind energy projects in co-existence with their ranching operations.
Farming and ranching are inherently tied to the earth. Agricultural producers are masters of sustainability and some of the foremost, oldest stewards of the land, utilizing practices that have significant positive environmental impacts. Not just because their livelihoods depend on protecting the ecosystems they operate on, but because they have a deep connection to the land. However, they are also humble, hard workers who focus their time on growing and raising the food our world relies on. Their sustainability efforts are largely unacknowledged, while the agriculture industry battles criticism and misinformation. The role agriculture plays is irreplaceable for our future. What seems basic to our agricultural producers, like tilling technique and responsible grazing management has a profound long-term impact on our environment and our society as a whole and we need to tell the world.
On behalf of Wheatland County and our Agricultural Service Board, thank you for everything you do to help educate our community. We commend you for your efforts and look forward to seeing the results of your work reflected in the county for generations to come. Our sincerest congratulations to everyone involved for earning these awards.
Now accepting nominations year-round!
Nominations are accepted year-round, but must be received by November 1 in order to be considered for awards issued each following March.
Environmental Stewardship Award Winners will receive an award certificate and $250 to support their initiatives. In addition, they will be recognized during an award ceremony at Wheatland County’s Annual General Meeting or other appropriate event and showcased through advertisement on Wheatland County’s website, social-media, and in local newspapers and newsletters. Names of winners will also be displayed on plaques at the County Administration Office.