Bend, OR — November 5, 2025 — Today, the High Desert Museum announces the Schnitzer Prize of the West, an inaugural initiative launched in close partnership with Jordan D. Schnitzer and the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation. The new Prize—the first of its kind in the region—will award $50,000 annually to an individual or a small group of individuals whose work addresses environmental and conservation challenges of the American West, with a particular focus on honoring, innovation, social impact, and uncommon collaboration. The open call for self- and third-party nominations runs on the High Desert Museum’s website from today through January 1, 2026.

In a moment when the American West—and the world-at-large—is confronting unprecedented ecological challenges, the Prize seeks to highlight innovative responses to urgent issues such as water scarcity, tribal rights and sovereignty, land-stewardship, changing climate, and more—offering models that can be replicated in other areas of the country facing similar pressures.

Since its founding in 1982, the High Desert Museum has been dedicated to sharing the stories of the American West through wildlife, art, cultures, history, and interdisciplinary experiences, creating a shared connection and dialogue among its community. The Prize builds on this commitment to conservation and on past initiatives such as the Earle A. Chiles Award—which recognized significant “Win-Win” contributions to managing the High Desert region's natural resources—as well as the Museum’s partnership with lifelong Portland resident and West Coast businessman Jordan D. Schnitzer, a dedicated steward of the local community and the region’s advancement.

“The Schnitzer Prize of the West is an exceedingly timely and relevant effort to shine a light on the innovators, collaborators and visionaries among us,” says Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D, Executive Director of High Desert Museum. “Their work demonstrates that we can look toward our future together even as we consider the economic and ecological challenges before us.”  

“The Schnitzer Prize celebrates remarkable individuals and teams, who through their uncommon collaborations, are producing actionable solutions to the legacy challenges we face in the West,” said Jordan D. Schnitzer, President of Schnitzer Properties and The Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation.

Administered through the High Desert Museum, Prize nominations and applications will be evaluated by an esteemed panel of advisors comprised of former tribal leaders, ranchers & farmers, water policy and river restoration practitioners, a poet laureate and renowned historian, directors of prominent academic centers that focus on the study of the American West and more. To learn more about this dynamic group, visit the High Desert Museum website. 

The Prize is now accepting nominations, and selected nominees will be invited to submit a formal application in early 2026. Nominations not selected in this inaugural cycle will automatically carry over for two forthcoming cycles. The Prize Winner will be announced in the spring of 2026. In addition to the $50,000 cash prize, the Winner will also receive a unique piece of art during an award ceremony in Portland, Oregon.

For more information on the Schnitzer Prize of the West, nomination eligibility, and selection process, please visit highdesertmuseum.org/schnitzer-prize.