St Joseph County Conservation District presents awards

A local business owner, members of a family farm and a panel of elected officials were recipients of awards presented Wednesday by the St. Joseph County Conservation District.
Jeff Pant, owner of Fawn River Kayak Guide and Rental, was named the conservation district’s volunteer of the year.
Henry, Ricardo and Martha Miller, of Florence Township-based Villa Miller Farms, were recognized as recipients of the 2014 Soil and Water Stewardship Award.
The 2014 Supporter of the Year Award went to the five-person St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners.
Pant, 54, has played a key but behind-the-scenes role in the annual cleanups, as he scouts rivers ahead of the events and ensures clear passage for kayakers and canoeists.
Henry Miller and his son farm nearly 2,000 acres in Florence, Lockport and Park townships.
Like Pant, Miller was given a State of Michigan Special Tribute certificate signed by Gov. Rick Snyder, U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, State Sen. John Proos and State Rep. Aaron Miller.
The Supporter of the Year Award was given to the county board of commissioners, in part, because its members have shown a strong commitment to improving the quality of life for paddlers who enjoy St. Joseph County’s 150 miles of rivers.