California Ranch Family Honored With Regional Environmental Award

Contacts:
Anita Brown, NRCS (530) 792-5644
Katie Otto, CCA (916) 444-0845

DAVIS, Calif., July 23, 2007—A Yolo County family has been chosen from among ranchers in seven states as regional winners for the Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP). Henry and Suzanne Stone, owners of Yolo Land and Cattle, along with their sons—Scott and Casey and their wives, Karen and Angela Stone—are being recognized for their numerous innovative ranching practices enabling environmental and economic sustainability.

"Many people who come to us for conservation help come seeking answers and fixes for one problem—erosion or invasive species, water issues or whatever it may be," says Phil Hogan, Yolo County District Conservationist for USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). "But the Stones have tackled and achieved improvements in each resource: soil, water, native plants, and wildlife habitat. They are big picture people." Hogan’s agency is a cosponsor of the ESAP Award as is the California Cattlemen’s Association.

"Hank Stone and his family have been trailblazers in finding new ways to expand their ranching operation while paying close attention to conservation and protecting the environment," commented Bruce Hafenfeld California Cattlemen’s Association President. "They exemplify the best of California's many progressive cattle producers, and I am pleased to see them receive this prestigious award as a recognition of their efforts."

The long list of improvements that the Stone's have made in their 7,500 acre ranch in the past 30 years includes replacing annual and invasive species with native grass plantings and prescribed burning, rotationally grazing their herd and excluding them from ponds and streams with the assistance of fencing and solar-powered watering troughs; restoration of ponds through grading, fencing and planting native grasses, shrubs and trees.

Many of the plantings have been installed with the help of high school students hosted on the ranch through a number of environmental education programs from the Center for Land Based Learning, to Audubon, to the local boy scouts.

According to Hogan the mere size of the Stone ranch, strategically located against the Central Coast Range and spreading across two watersheds gives them a special opportunity to improve social benefits such as water quality and wildlife corridors which are much harder to achieve with smaller parcels of land.

The Stones, however, have enlarged these benefits beyond their own considerable holdings by involving neighbors, partners, and the public in their efforts. For example, Scott Stone, worked with Audubon California to convince 26 neighbors to take part in an effort with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) to control brush encroachment into the grasslands and improve habitat qualities of the land. It is the largest Vegetation Management Plan of its kind in the State.

Public education opportunities on the ranch have involved everyone from budding NRCS conservationists to school children to chefs from the Culinary Institute of America.

"People across America essentially desire the same things: open spaces, clean water and a safe food supply, produced in an environmentally healthy and sustainable manner. That is how we try to run our businesses," says Scott Stone.

The Stone Ranch becomes one of six regional winners to now compete for the National ESAP Award, which will be announced at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Convention in February, 2008. This is the third California ranch to emerge as a regional winner in the past six years. ESAP is cosponsored nationally by NCBA, USDA-NRCS and Dow Elanco.

< Back to News Releases