Leopold Conservation Award Program

LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD® PROGRAM

The farmers, ranchers and foresters who own and manage the majority of land in the U.S. hold the key to meaningful environmental improvement in this nation. Sand County Foundation inspires and enables private landowners to exercise their individual responsibility to ethically manage the natural resources in their care.

The mission and methods of Sand County Foundation are built upon the conviction that voluntary, incentive-driven conservation by private landowners is an essential alternative to public acquisition and government regulation. Our entrepreneurial approach and ability to partner with organizations and communities across the spectrum has been our hallmark for nearly 50 years. Our sole focus is supporting voluntary conservation on working lands through ethics, science and incentives. Values of liberty, self- reliance, property rights and free enterprise are at our core. We believe private landowners have the ability to apply conservation on their land in a way that benefits their business and the environment, and that collaboration, not litigation, leads to the most enduring environmental improvements that enhance our quality of life.

As the population continues to expand and pressure on our natural resources intensify, we are faced with critical challenges related to water quality and quantity, land health and fish and wildlife populations. Property owners are operating in an era of unprecedented change: drought, flooding, wild fires, invasive species, growing regulation, market dynamics and an explosion of technology. New approaches are needed to inspire and enable private landowners to address these issues effectively and profitably. U.S landowners are not just the engines of innovation and a vibrant local economy; they can and should serve as a model to solve similar problems around the world.

With a laser focus on private lands conservation, we strive to enable positive change for both the environment and the families that work the land. Our programs and projects are recognized as being innovative and effective.

One example is the Leopold Conservation Award Program leopoldconservationaward.org which celebrates individual landowner responsibility and commitment to improved land health. The program recognizes landowners improving their local environments while having a positive impact on the original American small business, the family farm.

Recognizing farmers, ranchers and other landowners actively committed to delivering conservation on their own land, it has become the nation’s leading vehicle to carry the message of the multiple values private working lands contribute to society.

These stewards of the land are using innovation and entrepreneurship to achieve both economic and environmental success stories. Working with state and regional agricultural and conservation partners, we present the high profile award in settings that showcase landowners’ achievements among their peers.

Governors, dignitaries and leaders within the conservation community are heavily involved in the award presentations and the publicity generated by the award. Speakers such as former First Lady Laura Bush and Texas Governor Rick Perry have spoken at the Texas award ceremonies.

Annual events with Nebraska Governor Ricketts, Wyoming Governor Mead and South Dakota Governor Daugaard also elevate the award program and draw considerable media attention.

The award makes an impact by:

 Recognizing extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation on the land of exemplary private landowners. To date, more than 80 landowner families have been celebrated.  Inspiring thousands of other landowners representing tens of thousands of acres.  Influencing the general public’s understanding of the importance of private working lands in conservation.  Showcasing the ability of incentives and personal responsibility to create more sustainable impacts than arbitrary government regulation  The Leopold Conservation Award program is currently presented in California, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Work has begun to bring the award to Oklahoma, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Missouri and Iowa.

Partnership with leading conservation and agricultural organizations within the state and an independent judging panel maintain the integrity and highly competitive nature of the award. Award criteria include contributions to conservation, economic viability and community involvement of the applicants. These compelling stories become the basis for an active public information program that recognizes the significance of, and appreciation for, environmental accomplishments of working farms, ranches and forests. In 2015 alone, the award program and recipients were publicized in more than 260 media placements, reaching more than 97 million consumers.

Many Leopold Conservation Award recipients have gone on to receive other prominent regional and national awards such as the NCBA Environmental Stewardship Award, the BRIT Award of Excellence in Sustainable Winegrowing and many other prominent awards.

A combination of environmental stewardship, community involvement and lasting publicity have helped the Leopold Conservation Award Program continue to reach beyond the conservation community.

Recognition of the voluntary actions of private landowners helps to reform perceptions in both the government and conservation communities. These landowners are truly encompassing the American dream, creating a successful business while practicing conservation in preparation of the next generation. Sharing their stories and incentivizing their success helps to showcase that the carrot is indeed mightier then the stick.