The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) is inviting Tennesseans to submit nominations for the 2022 Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards.
“We are proud to recognize organizations that stand out in protecting our valuable natural resources in Tennessee,” Gov. Bill Lee said. “These awards honor those who are going above and beyond to responsibly protect and preserve Tennessee’s beauty and resources.”
The Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards include 10 unique categories: Agriculture and Forestry, Building Green, Clean Air, Energy and Renewable Resources, Environmental Education and Outreach, Materials Management, Natural Resource, Water Quality, Sustainable Performance, and Lifetime Achievement.
Any individual, business, organization, educational institution, or agency is eligible, provided it is in Tennessee and the project was completed during the 2021 calendar year. All nominees must have a minimum of three consecutive years of overall environmental compliance with TDEC. Self-nominations are encouraged.
“Many Tennesseans do our state a great service by protecting our environment and applying sustainable practices,” TDEC Commissioner David Salyers said. “We not only want these awards to recognize leaders in this effort but to offer examples for others to get involved.”
A panel of judges representing agricultural, conservation, forestry, environmental, and academic professionals will select award recipients based on criteria including level of project or program completion, innovation and public education. The deadline for nominations is March 31, 2022. Award recipients will be announced in the summer of 2022.
For more information about each category, judging criteria, and nomination forms, visit this link at the TDEC website.