The Board of Larimer County Commissioners recognized four groups for their dedication to environmental stewardship in Larimer County at the 2024 Environmental Stewardship Awards.

The awards mark the 29th year the commissioners have presented the awards to businesses, organizations, and residents to honor their work and stewardship in protecting our environment and climate. This year’s awards bring the total awards given out to 109.

Larimer County’s Environmental and Science Advisory Board reviews nominations submitted for the awards and recommends that the commissioners select the award winners.

Seth Pickett --- Removing pet waste from Larimer County Open Spaces

While mountain biking, Pickett noticed many dog owners rarely return to pick up their bagged pet waste. Beginning in 2022, Seth placed a bag carrier on his bike to pick up the bags left on the trails. He hopes his actions encourage others to remember to not simply bag the waste but complete the process and take the waste to the nearest trash receptacle or with them when they exit our open spaces. Pickett says “…  there is no poop fairy,” and for visitors to our natural areas to do their part and dispose of their pet’s waste properly.

Alice Rueman and Marina Connors --- Estes Recycles Day and opportunities to dispose of hard-to-recycle items in the Estes Valley

Estes Recycles Day is a volunteer-run annual event for the Estes Valley community to dispose of their hard-to-recycle items --- especially electronics --- without leaving the Estes Valley. Held annually since 2014, the Community Recycling Committee organizes the community event --- with the League of Women Voters in the Estes Valley and the Rotary Club of Estes Park.

Residents with hard-to-recycle items like electronics often must take a two-hour round-trip to a recycling center on the front range, where hard-to-recycle items are received. In 2023 504 households participated with 63 volunteers assisting, collecting 6,910 pounds of electronics in 2022 and a whopping 21,639 pounds of electronics in 2023.

This year the program will be expanded to include hard-to-recycle waste from small businesses, too.

Zach Thode --- Improving soil health, regenerative ranching, and agricultural practices, Lehi Ranch, Livermore, Colorado.

Ranch owner Zach Thode worked to prioritize healthy soil, animals, water, and air while operating the ranch. Lehi Ranch is a first-generation ranch in Livermore, Colorado. Preserving the ranch’s soil enhances the land’s resilience to climate extremes in Colorado. Some of their methods include planting pollinator-friendly crops to increase forage for pollinators.

Thode has collaborated with 40 other farmers and ranchers since 2020 monitoring their agricultural fields through the Citizen Soil Health Project. The ranch joined the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s STAR [Sustaining Tomorrow’s Agricultural Resources] in 2022 --- the only ranch to implement all six of that program’s soil health principles. 

With water being such an important resource in Colorado, Lehi Ranch also collaborates with The Larimer Conservation District to apply the latest water quality best management practices to reduce nutrient pollution and improve water quality in the Poudre River.

Hattie Schetzsle and Ron Harris ---  Estes Land Stewardship Association to promote community awareness of invasive plants and their impacts

Our region has several species of noxious weeds, and these weeds can negatively impact our region.  Noxious weeds can destroy native plant species, reduce the capacity for vegetation to support wildlife, livestock, and even erode our soil.

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

Formed in 2007, the ELSA has worked to produce weekly Weed-of-the-Week stories for local news, hold presentations at public meetings, and conduct on-site visits to property owners all designed to control noxious weeds. Another source of information is their Obnoxious Weed Booklet, which is updated annually.