Air Quality Articles

Defining Land Stewardship

A steward is somebody who is given the task of keeping or managing a particular property. In today's highly technological and environmentally-aware world, stewardship has embraced a new concept that encompasses a wider scope of responsibilities.

Land stewardship is one of the most discussed issues today. It pertains to the practice of managing land usage to ensure its protection and continuous enhancement.

The practice of land stewardship embraces particular principles that include resource conservation and encouraging natural biological biodiversity while effectively conserving the land. It requires a deep understanding of and a passionate commitment to the basic roles and values of natural systems; recognizing the benefits it provides to the land's biological and ecological systems is vital. A good land steward must know how to imbibe safe land-use practices that benefit the land he manages and the other lands in the surrounding area.

To effectively practice land stewardship, one must have deeply rooted values and ethics. These values will allow him to genuinely care for the health and general condition of the land especially in terms of its connection with civilization, urbanization, and the ecosystems, which are all vital to its survival.

Land stewardship re-establishes a person's (or a company's) relationship with humanity's dependence on Mother Earth and its accompanying elements of water, air, and sunshine.

Land stewardship is what the Cemex plant in Davenport, California, has worked on for years. Cemex was recently cited for their efforts in rehabilitating, beautifying, and conserving their plant's surrounding land. Their projects include an expansion of the forest environment, marine species preservation, and annual planting of 20,000 redwood seedlings.

If companies follow the initiatives begun by Cemex, then we will slowly be able to preserve our lands for the future generation through land stewardship.