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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Commissioner David Salyers today announced the winners of the 2021 Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards.
The winners will be formally recognized for their achievements and positive impact on the state’s natural resources and communities in an awards ceremony Oct. 4 in Franklin.
“Whether it’s a private business, a government body, or a college or university, we want to recognize those who are showing a commitment to protecting the environment in Tennessee,” Lee said. “Our honorees this year have proved worthy of such recognition.”
“We have an outstanding group of award recipients,” Salyers said. “We want these awards not only to honor the winners but to encourage others to follow their lead.”
The Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards program recognizes exceptional voluntary actions that improve or protect the environment and natural resources with projects or initiatives not required by law or regulation.
In its 35th year, the awards program covers the following categories: agriculture and forestry; building green; clean air; energy and renewable resources; environmental education and outreach; materials management; natural resource conservation; sustainable performance; and water quality conservation. TDEC did not name a winner this year in the clean air category.
The 2021 Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award recipients are:
| Entity | County | Category |
| The City of Kingsport | Sullivan | Natural Resources |
| Clayton Savannah | Hardin | Materials Management |
| Coffee County Soil Conservation District | Coffee | Agriculture and Forestry |
| Cumberland River Compact | Davidson | Water Quality |
| Nokian Tyres Dayton | Rhea | Sustainable Performance |
| Tennessee Tech University | Putnam | Building Green |
| Trevecca Nazarene University | Davidson | Environmental Education and Outreach |
| Vanderbilt University | *Bedford, Davidson, Franklin | Energy Renewable Resources |
| Not Awarded | Clean Air |
*The Vanderbilt University award is listed with three counties because the project took place in those counties.
The Knoxville Utilities Board, Metro Nashville Department of General Services, and Tennsco in Dickson are recognized with Pursuit of Excellence Awards, which recognize past award winners who continue to demonstrate a high regard for environmental stewardship.
The Robert Sparks Walker Lifetime Achievement Award will be announced at the awards ceremony.
A panel of 11 professionals representing agriculture, conservation, forestry, environment, and academic professions judged more than 75 nominations and selected this year’s award recipients based on criteria including on-the-ground environmental achievement, innovation, transferability, partnerships, and public education. Details about each award winner can be found in the accompanying attachment.
More information about the awards program is available online at this link.