Since 1991, cattle ranches from all over the United States have competed for the prestigious Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP), which is sponsored and presented by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). The purpose of the award is to recognize the outstanding stewardship practices and conservation achievements of American cattle producers. While the award highlights stewardship, it also provides fellow cattle producers with examples and ideas which may be useful on their own farms. The award is also sponsored by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Dow AgroSciences, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. In order to qualify, a U.S. cattle producer must be nominated by any organization, group, or individual. One winner is selected from each of the seven regions in the U.S., and an overall national winner is selected from the regional finalists. Prior to 2007, only one producer from California had ever received the national award. The selection committee is comprised of representatives from universities, conservation organizations, state and federal agencies, and previous award winners.