STATEWIDE — Nominations are now being accepted for the prestigious Leopold Conservation Award® honoring agricultural landowners in Colorado who demonstrate outstanding stewardship and management of natural resources.

Sand County Foundation, the nation’s leading voice for conservation of private land, presents the Leopold Conservation Award to private landowners in 14 states for extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. In Colorado, the $10,000 award is presented with the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust, and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes landowners who inspire others with their dedication to land, water and wildlife habitat management on private, working land. In his influential 1949 book, “A Sand County Almanac,” Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.

Nominations may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may nominate themselves. The application can be found at: https://sandcountyfoundation.org/uploads/CO-CFN-2019.pdf

The application deadline date is February 1, 2019. Applications can be emailed to [email protected]. If mailed, applications must be postmarked by February 1, and mailed to:

Leopold Conservation Award

c/o Colorado Cattlemen’s Association

8833 Ralston Road

Arvada, CO 80002-2239.

The 2018 recipient of the award was Beatty Canyon Ranch from Las Animas County. Past winners have included San Luis Valley residents.

“The Leopold Conservation Award is an excellent way to highlight the positive impacts agriculture has for the environment, society and our economy; while teaching others about the importance of natural resource stewardship,” said Mike Hogue, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association President.

The Leopold Conservation Award Program in Colorado is made possible thanks to the generous support of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Assoc., The Stanko Ranch, The Gates Family Foundation, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service of Colorado, American AgCredit, The Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, and The Nature Conservancy.

ABOUT THE LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD

The Leopold Conservation Award is a competitive award that recognizes landowner achievement in voluntary conservation. The award consists of $10,000 and a crystal depicting Aldo Leopold. Sand County Foundation presents Leopold Conservation Awards in California, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

ABOUT SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION

Sand County Foundation (www.sandcountyfoundation.org) is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to working with private landowners across North America to advance ethical and scientifically sound land management practices that benefit the environment.

ABOUT COLORADO CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION

As the only organization exclusively representing the state’s more than 12,000 beef producers, CCA serves members by speaking out on behalf of Colorado’s beef producers and landowners to state and national legislators, agencies, media and consumers. The association is primarily funded through voluntary membership dues contributed by its members. coloradocattle.org

ABOUT COLORADO CATTLEMEN’S AGRICULTURAL LAND TRUST

Recognizing the need to help Colorado’s ranching and farming families protect their agricultural lands, in the face of growing development and economic pressures, the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association in 1995 formed the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT). To date, CCALT has partnered with hundreds of ranching families in the protection of more than 565,000 acres. ccalt.org

ABOUT TRI-STATE GENERATION & TRANSMISSION ASSOCIATION

Tri-State Generation & Transmission Assn. is a wholesale electric power supplier owned by the 43 electric cooperatives and public power districts it serves. Tri State Generation & Transmission Assoc. generates and transports electricity to its member systems across Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming. tristategt.org