"I think she epitomizes what the founding fathers of the program wanted to be happening on Indian reservations in ag education and youth development," said Ross Racine, executive director of the IAC in Billings, and presenter of the national award.

"Verna has throughout the years been very proactive in this Extension program and she serves in a number of capacities on the Blackfeet Reservation," said Racine. "She's involved in weed control, serves as an ex officio member of the Natural Resources Conservation District, is intimately involved in land use planning and was involved in the recent range survey, as well as ensuring and expanding the viability of the 4-H program," he said.

Billedeaux collaborated to address the issues of low public awareness, lack of funding and limited availability of services -- factors that have stood in the way of weed control on reservation land in the past. As a result, more than 80 people have attended learning sessions on pesticide application and weed control. Public weed awareness and identification projects are taking place and cost-sharing plans to assist individuals with weed control plans and control measures are now available. The effort also resulted in funding to support weed control mapping and recordkeeping systems and the hiring of a weed coordinator in September, 2006.

In the range survey to which Racine referred, Billedeaux teamed with multiple groups to develop and fund an ambitious plan to inventory more than 730,000 acres of rangeland that hadn't been assessed in more than 30 years. Sampling for the $922,000 project is 98 percent complete and fundraising is underway to implement and utilize the data to help Blackfeet Reservation agriculture producers make informed range management decisions.

Other agriculture education projects she has advanced include the annual Blackfeet Grazing Seminar, attended by more than 260 people in 2006, and an agriculture newsletter that extends range and livestock management information to more than 300 local readers. Billedeaux also works to help livestock producers increase profits through value added beef production and livestock management practices and helping producers access rural assistance loans to start cattle operations.

Youth and adult participation in 4-H youth development programs on the reservation has increased more than tenfold since the Blackfeet Reservation MSU Extension office began to administer the program. Currently 27 trained leaders and 99 youth are involved in hands-on learning projects.

Outside of clubs, 4-H youth development activities help young people learn about sustainable natural resources, agribusiness practices and community service, among other life skills. Collaborating with a volunteer group representing Blackfeet Natural Resources and USDA agencies, Billedeaux developed an outdoor natural resources learning camp, which, now in its 14th year, has reached 640 youth about natural resources topics and related career opportunities.

Through the USDA Junior Ag Loan program, youth complete business plans, apply for loans and develop agreements, record systems and payment plans to start small cow-calf operations. More than a third of the 75 young people participating in the loan program since its inception on the Blackfeet Reservation have used cow-calf proceeds to help with their college education.

Billedeaux said she appreciated the recognition for the cumulative success of ongoing Extension programs that agents all over the state tend to consider as part of their day's work, or "just doing what needs to be done."

"When you win something like this it makes you want to work harder," said Billedeaux.

"Just knowing that somebody appreciates that there is an impact, and they see the importance –– not just of what I do as an Extension agent here, but what all of Extension does. It validates what we do. It's kinda nice."