Leopold Conservation Award in Utah seeks nominees

Sand County Foundation, in partnership with the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, Utah Cattlemen’s Association and Western Ag Credit, seeks nominations for the 2010 Leopold Conservation Award in Utah.

The Award, which is comprised of $10,000 and an Aldo Leopold crystal, recognizes Utah farmers and ranchers who demonstrate outstanding stewardship and sustainable management of natural resources. The Leopold Conservation Award is presented in honor of renowned conservationist and author Aldo Leopold who called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.

“The health of Utah’s landscape is dependent on hard-working farmers and ranchers across the state who dedicate themselves to ensuring that Utah’s natural resources are in better shape than when they found them,” said Dr. Brent Haglund, Sand County Foundation President. “Year after year, the quality of award nominations for the Leopold Conservation Award proves that Utah’s land, water and wildlife are in great hands.”

The 2009 award recipient was Butch and Jeanie Jensen’s Tavaputs Ranch in Carbon County.

The Leopold Conservation Award will be presented at the Utah Farm Bureau’s Convention in November in Layton.

The nomination deadline is July 28, 2010. For more information, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org, or contact Matt Hargreaves, 801-233-3003, matt.hargreaves@fbfs.com.

ABOUT SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION
Sand County Foundation (www.sandscounty.net) is a private, non-profit conservation group dedicated to working with private landowners to improve habitat on their land. Sand County’s mission is to advance the use of ethical and scientifically sound land management practices and partnerships for the benefit of people and their rural landscapes. Sand County Foundation works with private landowners because the majority of the nation’s fish, wildlife, and natural resources are found on private lands. The organization backs local champions, invests in civil society and places incentives before regulation to create solutions that ensure and grow. The organization encourages the exercise of private responsibility in the pursuit of improved land health as an essential alternative to many of the commonly used strategies in modern conservation.

ABOUT THE LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD
The Leopold Conservation Award is a competitive award that recognizes landowner achievement in voluntary conservation. The award consists of a crystal depiction of Aldo Leopold seated on a horse and a check for $10,000.

The awards are presented to accomplish three objectives: First, they recognize extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation on the land of exemplary private landowners. Second, they inspire countless other landowners in their own communities through these examples. Finally, they provide a visible forum where leaders from the agriculture community are recognized as conservation leaders to groups outside of agriculture.

ABOUT THE UTAH FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
The Utah Farm Bureau Federation (Farm Bureau) is Utah’s largest general farm and ranch organization, made up of 28 county Farm Bureaus and more than 27,000 member families. Its mission is to improve the net income of the state’s farmers and ranchers and to represent, protect, and promote agricultural interests throughout the State of Utah. It seeks to find solutions to problems of the farm, ranch, and the rural community through political action, educational, and informational means. The Farm Bureau is a non-governmental, non-partisan, voluntary membership organization, and its efforts are based on grassroots policies developed by members at the local, county, and state levels. Farm Bureau strives to protect and improve the ability of farmers and ranchers engaged in production agriculture to provide a safe and reliable supply of food, fiber, and fuel through responsible stewardship of their resources. It is affiliated with the American Farm Bureau Federation, the world’s largest general farm organization, with more than 6 million family members in 50 states and Puerto Rico.

ABOUT UTAH CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION
The Utah Cattlemen's Association is a cattle industry, member driven, organization formed in 1890 for the purpose of promoting and protecting the business of raising cattle in the State of Utah. The association works to uphold the rights of all persons engaged in the cattle business. Members are encouraged to improve the quality of cattle and beef produced and adopt good principles of management while caring for livestock and the land. The association represents cattlemen on state and local issues and is affiliated with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association on national issues.

ABOUT WESTERN AG CREDIT
Western AgCredit is the leader within the agricultural finance industry with over 90 years of lending to farmers in the Intermountain West. It currently serves approximately 1,700 customers with a full range of credit and financial services, as well as providing financial and volunteer support to several agricultural and community activities, including, among others, Utah Farm Bureau, Utah Cattlemen's Association, FFA, 4-H, and Ag in the Classroom.