Nominations open for 2026 Environmental Stewardship Awards

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is accepting nominations for the 2026 Environmental Stewardship Awards. Established in 1991, the Environmental Stewardship Award Program annually recognizes outstanding stewardship practices and conservation achievements of cattle producers across the country.

“Since its inception 35 years ago, this prestigious program has recognized 235 cattle operations for their stewardship efforts,” said NCBA President Buck Wehrbein. “We look forward to finding the next deserving stewards and sharing their stories.”

Any individual, group or organization is eligible to nominate one individual or business raising or feeding cattle. While individuals and families may not nominate themselves, they should be involved in the preparation of the application. Past nominees are encouraged to resubmit applications; however, previous winners may not reapply.

Along with a typed application, one nomination letter and three letters of recommendation highlighting the nominee’s leadership in conservation are required. The application deadline is Feb. 16, 2026. Nominees do not have to be members of NCBA but should support the objectives of their state and national organization.

Award winners are selected by a committee of representatives from universities, cattle production, conservation organizations as well as federal and state agencies. For guidance, the judges consider the management of water, wildlife, vegetation, air, and soil along with leadership abilities and the sustainability of the business. Regional winners will be recognized at the cattle industry’s Summer Business Meeting in Denver, Colorado, in July 2026, and the national winner will be announced during CattleCon 2027 in Nashville, Tennessee, in February 2027.

The Environmental Stewardship Award Program is an initiative of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation and is made possible with generous support from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Corteva Agriscience, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For more information and to download the nomination packet, visit the ESAP website here.