Text is copied from https://sandcountyfoundation.org/news/2019/finalists-selected-for-pennsylvania-leopold-conservation-award.
CAMP HILL, Penn. – Three finalists have been selected for the 2019 Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award®.
Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes farmers, ranchers and foresters who inspire others with their dedication to land, water and wildlife habitat management on private, working land.
In Pennsylvania, the $10,000 award is presented annually by Sand County Foundation, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and Heinz Endowments.
The finalists are:
The award will be presented at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in January.
“We are extremely proud of the three finalists, who have put a spotlight on how farm families across the Commonwealth are exceptional stewards of the land,” said Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Rick Ebert. “Glen Cauffman, Dean and Rebecca Jackson and Troy Firth, have consistently demonstrated strong commitments to improving the environment through their conservation efforts. They are truly worthy of the recognition they have received.”
“The way Pennsylvania’s farmers and foresters operate has a tremendous impact on the quality of the soil and water we rely on for food and life,” Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “We are pleased to honor those whose ethic of conservation, and whose investments in innovation honor Aldo Leopold’s legacy and safeguard our future.”
“Leopold Conservation Award recipients are at the forefront of a movement by America’s farmers and ranchers to simultaneously achieve economic and environmental success,” said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer.
The first Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award was presented earlier this year to the DiFebo family’s Harvest Home Farms in Bangor.
The Leopold Conservation Award in Pennsylvania is made possible thanks to the generous contributions from platinum sponsor, Heinz Endowments, and the assistance and support of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, USDA NRCS, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Center for Dairy Excellence, Dairymen’s Association, and The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania.
Sand County Foundation presents the Leopold Conservation Award to private landowners in 20 states for extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation.
In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage, which he called “an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity.”
For more information on the award, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.
The Leopold Conservation Award is a competitive award that recognizes landowner achievement in voluntary conservation. Sand County Foundation presents the award in California, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont). www.leopoldconservationaward.org
SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION
Sand County Foundation inspires and enables a growing number of private landowners to ethically manage natural resources in their care, so future generations have clean and abundant water, healthy soil to support agriculture and forestry, plentiful habitat for wildlife and opportunities for outdoor recreation. www.sandcountyfoundation.org
HEINZ ENDOWMENTS
The Heinz Endowments is devoted to the mission of helping our region prosper as a vibrant center of creativity, learning, and social, economic and environmental sustainability. Core to our work is the vision of a just community where all are included and where everyone who calls southwestern Pennsylvania home has a real and meaningful opportunity to thrive. http://www.heinz.org/
PENNSYLVANIA FARM BUREAU
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is the state’s largest farm organization, representing farms of every size and commodity across Pennsylvania. www.pfb.com
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