CHEYENNE, WYOMING (June 23, 2020) — Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has proclaimed July 16, 2020 as Wyoming Environmental Stewardship Day.
Governor Gordon signed the proclamation during a virtual ceremony in Cheyenne on Tuesday, June 23.
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 2020 recipient of the award is the Double 8 Ranch in Elk Mountain, Wyoming. This year’s award is sponsored by Audubon Rockies.
“Audubon Rockies is proud to support the Wyoming Stock Growers and the ranching families that work hard every day in an industry that is vital to the preservation of open spaces for birds and wildlife,” said Dusty Downey with Audubon Rockies. “The Double 8 Ranch has shown for generations that stewardship and ranching go hand in hand. Preserving the livelihood and prosperity of ranchers across the West is a focus of the Audubon Rockies Conservation Ranching Initiative.”
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The Double Eight Ranch was established by the Richardson family in the 1870s. Walter Scott Sr. purchased the ranch in June of 1951 and it is now in its third generation of Scott ownership. Walter Scott Jr. and Pres Williams became friends while attending Colorado State University. Pres Williams and his wife Nelda were hired to manage the business in July of 1951. Owen Williams inherited the managerial position from his father, Willis Williams, in January of 2011. The partnership between Scott and the Williams families continues to this day, nearly 70 years later.
The Double 8 Ranch will celebrate this prestigious award and Wyoming Environmental Stewardship Day with their community on July 16 in Elk Mountain. They will also be recognized at the 2020 Wyoming Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show in Rock Springs on August 28 in the presence of WSGA members and ag industry leaders.
“It’s a real joy when you get to go to these other states and talk about the producers we have here, the heart that we have, and just the work ethic and joy we have in our state,” stated Governor Gordon during the virtual Proclamation Signing.
For more information about the Wyoming Stock Growers Association Environmental Stewardship Program, please contact Olivia Sanchez at the Wyoming Stock Growers Association Office at [email protected] or (307) 638-3942. More information about the program and Association can be found online at www.wysga.org.
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