USDA recognizes Ephrata man with Unsung Hero Award

EPHRATA — Kevin Guinn of Ephrata doesn’t know any other way than to tackle the project and roll up a get-er-done attitude. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recognized his efforts, presenting him with the UnSung Hero Award.

Guinn, who is a state range management specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Ephrata, is the driving force behind the agency’s sage grouse conservation efforts in Washington.

He is one of only a handful of USDA employees nationally to receive the USDA Unsung Hero Award.

“The Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI) is the program I went to college for,” Guinn said. “It’s wildlife conservation through sustainable ranching.”

The NRCS is working side-by-side with ranchers and conservation partners to proactively conserve habitat for the iconic Western bird. Guinn found a group of ranchers who owned land with critical sage grouse habitat and met with them to discuss how they could help sage grouse while improving their working rangelands.

The results: 11 ranches signed up to participate in SGI in a seven-mile radius, creating an important habitat corridor for the bird.

“After working with Kevin for more than 35 years, he never was one to attack a challenge with half measures,” Leigh Nelson said. “He goes above and beyond, always striving for the best and never losing his true objectives.”

But those 11 ranches were just the beginning. He built SGI’s momentum in the state, and he also worked closely with conservation partners to increase the capacity to deliver top-notch conservation to Washington ranchers.

Through SGI, conservation partners – like Pheasants Forever – help ranchers apply for NRCS conservation programs and implement NRCS conservation practices. These partners, along with Intermountain West Joint Venture, are part of what is called SGI’s Strategic Watershed Action Team (SWAT).

Guinn invested considerable time passing his extensive knowledge and passion on to others through his great mentorship and work with countless field staff. He is selflessly transferring his nearly 40 years of NRCS and range management knowledge to the next generation.

After almost 40 years of federal service, Guinn has plans to retire this year. But his amazing conservation legacy with USDA will live on through all of the people he has mentored, the partnerships he has built, and the conservation he has put on the ground.

“It’s been a true honor and pleasure to work alongside Kevin over the years as he’s the type of hero that every USDA office would be proud to have,” said Sam Lawry, Western Pheasants Forever Director.