Cloud Peak CEO Colin Marshall said he was grateful for the acknowledgement. “The company is honored to receive this award,” he said after its presentation at the Wyoming Mining Association’s Annual Safety and Reclamation Banquet.
The award acknowledged control of cheatgrass, an undesirable introduced species readily invading disturbed landscapes in native rangeland. Cloud Peak accomplished this, according to state regulators and company officials, through advanced dual husbandry and custom seeding techniques for native cool and warm season plant communities.
In all, the Antelope project has transformed more than 400 acres of cheatgrass-lands into sustainable native stands allowing for livestock grazing and wildlife, said the company. These efforts demonstrate Cloud Peak Energy’s commitment to environmental stewardship, according to Wyoming environmental officials.