Environmental Stewardship Awards

Environmental Stewardship Awards Ceremony

The Ceremony will be held July 31st, 1:30 PM in the Hearing Room, RM 155, 200 W. Oak Street, Fort Collins CO. It will also be televised and viewed from the Commissioner's Live Broadcast.

Larimer County's annual Environmental Stewardship Awards recognize individuals and organizations that are good stewards of the environment.

What we recognize

The awards recognize the environmental stewardship activities of individuals, organizations, business, or public agencies that take place within Larimer County. The activities can be simple or complex. Successful nominations are projects that are effective, innovative, creative, provide leadership and sustainability. The nomination form will help guide you through those criteria.

Suggestions for possible nominations include: an individual that shows a commitment to environmental stewardship on their property or in the community, an educator who is dedicated to instilling an environmental ethic in their students, or a business that uses innovative practices to minimize impacts and enhance the environment. A list of the previous stewardship awards is available on the county website.

Submit a nomination

Anyone is eligible to nominate a deserving individual, organization, business, or public agency for an award.

The 2024 nomination period has closed, but will re-open in January of 2025.  If you would like to prepare your application early, you can click the "Online Nomination Form" button to see what questions are asked.  

Online Nomination Form

How the awards are selected

The county's Environmental and Science Advisory Board reviews and evaluates each of the nominations based on the following criteria:

  • Time and degree of commitment
  • Environmental benefit of the project
  • Innovation and Creativity
  • Educational value of a project
  • Promoting sustainability 

Then they make recommendations to the County Commissioners who make the final selection. The winners will be recognized by the Commissioners at a regularly televised meeting.

Questions

We can be reached by phone at (970) 498-5738, or by email if you have questions about the stewardship awards program.

2024 Awardees

We are excited to present Larimer County’s Environmental Stewardship Awards for 2024.  This was the 29th year for these awards!  Because of the active Alexander Mountain Fire, the two Estes Park Area awardees could not attend the ceremony in person.  Commissioner Shadduck-McNally is holding their award plaques

2024 Stewardship Awards group photo

Left to Right: Commissioner John Kefalas; Zach and Mrs. Thode  (Lehi Ranch); Seth Pickett; Commissioner Kristin Stephens; Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally

Estes Land Stewardship Association

Estes Land Stewardship Association Awardees

Estes Recycles

Estes Recycles Day Awardees

 

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  • During Seth’s mountain-bike rides, he noticed that a lot of dog owners rarely return to pick up their bagged pet waste. 

  • In 2022 Seth put a bag carrier on the front of his bike and started picking up the bags left behind on the trails. 

  • Pet waste is a big problem on the trails in our parks and open spaces.  Seth’s actions not only reduce the pet waste pollution, but his work also encourages others to pick up trash or find other ways to help improve the trail environments. 

  • Seth notes there is no poop fairy and its important for pet owners to not only bag their pet’s waste but also properly dispose of that bag in the trash. 

  • Dog owners need to be prepared to remove that bagged waste even if it means bringing it with them to a location where a trash can is available. 

  • Estes Recycles Day is a volunteer-run annual event for the Estes Valley community to properly dispose of their hard to recycle items without having to leave the Estes Valley. 

  • Organized by the Community Recycling Committee, a subcommittee of the League of Women Voters of the Estes Valley, and the Rotary Club of Estes Park, this event has been held annually since 2014. 

  • In 2023 they had their biggest year yet with 504 households participating and 63 volunteers assisting. 

  • Each year participation increases – in 2022 6,910 lbs. of electronics were collected and the collection number rose to 21,639 lbs. in 2023! 

  • In 2024 they will expand the drop-off to include small business recyclable waste.

  • The convenience of having this service in town means that residents do not have to make the 2-hour and 80-mile roundtrip to a recycling center, and the event has raised awareness of the importance of recycling and sustainability. 

  • Lehi Ranch is a first-generation ranch in Livermore, Colorado. 

  • In managing his Lehi Ranch, Zach Thode prioritizes healthy soil, animals, water and air and operates its ranch to achieve these principles. 

  • They work to improve soil health on their land, which improves the land’s resilience to the natural extremes of the Colorado climate. 

  • Some of their methods include planting pollinator friendly cover crops that not only improve soil heath but also increase forage for pollinators. 

  • Since 2020, they have monitored the health of their agricultural fields through the Citizen Soil Health Project, where they collaborate with 40 other farmers. 

  • In 2022 they joined the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s STAR program (Sustaining Tomorrows Agricultural Resources), and they are the only farm in Larimer County to implement all six of the program’s soil health principals. 

  • Lehi Farms is also collaborating with the Larimer Conservation District to implement water quality best management practices that reduce nutrient pollution and improve water quality in the Poudre River. 

  • The Estes Land Stewardship Association works to raise awareness of the negative impacts that noxious weeds have on the region, and especially in Rocky Mountain National Park. 

  • The ELSA formed in 2007 and has worked to produce weekly weed-of-the week articles for the local newspaper, hold presentations at public meetings, organize public weed drop-off days and conduct on-site visits to help property owners manage their weeds. 

  • They also produce the Obnoxious Weed Booklet, which they update annually.  

  • The Estes Land Stewardship Association provides an important stewardship role in the Estes Valley that helps keep the native landscape weed free.