Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award Seeks Candidates – Cyber Tech

Press launch posted by Sand County Basis on 9 February 2026

Candidates are actually being accepted for the 2026 Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award®.

The award honors farmers and forestland homeowners who go above and past of their administration of soil well being, water high quality, and wildlife habitat on working land.

Sand County Basis and nationwide sponsor American Farmland Belief current Leopold Conservation Awards to personal landowners in 28 states. In Pennsylvania, the $10,000 award is introduced with The Heinz Endowments, Horizon Farm Credit score, and Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

Given in honor of famend conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award acknowledges landowners who encourage others to contemplate conservation alternatives on their land. In his influential 1949 e book, “A Sand County Almanac,” Leopold advocated for “a land ethic,” an moral relationship between individuals and the land they personal and handle.

Award candidates could also be submitted on behalf of a landowner or landowners could nominate themselves. The applying type might be discovered at www.sandcountyfoundation.org/ApplyLCA.

The applying deadline date is August 1, 2026.

Purposes should be emailed to PennsylvaniaLCA@sandcountyfoundation.org.

Purposes are reviewed by an unbiased panel of Pennsylvania’s agricultural and conservation leaders. Final 12 months’s recipient was Jim Hershey of Elizabethtown. To view profiles of all previous recipients, click on right here.

“Conservation is crucial to the way forward for agriculture, and the Leopold Conservation Award celebrates farmers and landowners dedicated to accountable stewardship of their land,” mentioned Tom Truitt, Chief Government Officer of Horizon Farm Credit score. “Their dedication is an inspiration to others and a strong reminder of the function agriculture performs in defending water, soil, and wildlife habitats. Farm Credit score is proud to assist these advancing this essential work.”

“Farmers are at all times on the lookout for methods to save lots of their assets and to make the most of know-how in order that the subsequent era has a spot,” mentioned Chris Hoffman, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President. “We need to have fun those that use know-how and have farming practices that protect our pure assets. We need to encourage Pennsylvania farmers to showcase their dedication to stewardship and revolutionary approaches to conservation by making use of for the 2026 Leopold Conservation Award.”

“How we handle land and water assets has a profound impression on the standard of life, and the safety of our meals provide for future generations,” Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding mentioned. “The Leopold Conservation Award acknowledges farmers who’ve been fashions of moral, efficient soil and water conservation, not only for the standard and productiveness of their very own land, however for clear water, wholesome soil and an plentiful meals provide for generations to come back.”

“Leopold Conservation Award recipients are examples of how Aldo Leopold’s land ethic is alive and properly at present,” mentioned Kevin McAleese, Sand County Basis President and CEO. “Their dedication to conservation is each an inspiration to their friends in addition to a reminder to all how essential considerate agriculture is to scrub water, wholesome soil, and wildlife habitat.”

“Because the nationwide sponsor for Sand County Basis’s Leopold Conservation Award, American Farmland Belief celebrates the onerous work and dedication of the award recipients,” mentioned John Piotti, AFT President and CEO. “At AFT we consider that exemplary conservation includes the land itself, the practices employed on the land, and the individuals who steward it. This award acknowledges the integral function of all three.”

The Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award is made doable via the beneficiant assist from American Farmland Belief, The Heinz Endowments, Horizon Farm Credit score, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Sand County Basis, U.S. Division of Agriculture’s Pure Sources Conservation Service, Pennsylvania State Conservation Fee, Pennsylvania Affiliation of Conservation Districts, Pennsylvania Division of Agriculture, and The Nature Conservancy.

For extra info on the award, go to www.leopoldconservationaward.org.