WYOMING – Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has proclaimed July 14 as Wyoming Environmental Stewardship Day. Gov. Gordon signed the proclamation on April 28 in Cheyenne. 

Each year, Wyoming Environmental Stewardship Day marks the date of the Environmental Stewardship Tour hosted by the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) and the Wyoming Department of Agriculture. The annual event showcases that year’s award recipient’s conservation efforts.

The 2021 recipient of the award is the Galloway Ranch in Ten Sleep, Wyoming. This year’s award is sponsored by Audubon Rockies. 

“The Stewardship Proclamation, designating July 14 as Wyoming Environmental Stewardship Day, calls on Wyoming citizens to recognize and celebrate the important role that dedicated Wyoming ranchers play in protecting and enhancing our state’s natural resources through careful stewardship of both private and public lands,” stated Jim Magagna, Wyoming Stock Growers Association executive vice president.

Past winners in Sublette County include Eastfork Livestock in 2003, Pape Ranches in 2008 and Sommers Ranch in 2012.

The Galloways established Galloway Ranch in 1998. They moved to rural Wyoming to raise their three boys, purchasing their ranch from an older couple who were no longer able to keep up with the daily work. They bought this ranch with the idea of having a ranch where conservation and agriculture meet. The Galloways are stewards of the land and their livestock. Their focus when they started was to make the ranch sustainable.

Working with many partners including the Washakie County Conservation District, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, the Galloways were able to implement many stewardship practices to reach this goal.   

The Galloways were nominated due to their many educational opportunities they have opened highlighting best management practices. These include continuous support of local FFA and 4-H programs, tours with the WyRed range students, a summer camp and competition on grazing land management, hosting area landowners during local district workshops and providing a review of a sagebrush-mowing project that provides improved forage for livestock and wildlife including a key core area of greater sage-grouse habitat. 

They will also be recognized at the 2021 Wyoming Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show in Sheridan on June 4 in the presence of WSGA members and ag industry leaders.

The Double 8 Ranch will also celebrate its 2020 award and environmental tour with their community on July 21 in Elk Mountain.  The Double 8 Ranch tour had been rescheduled from last year year due to Covid-19 restrictions.  

For more information about the WSGA’s Environmental Stewardship Program, contact the office at [email protected] or 307-638-3942. More information about the program and Association is at www.wysga.org.