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Leopold Conservation Award in California presented to Chet Vogt

December 8, 2008

“Chet Vogt has dedicated himself to innovation in environmentally beneficial ranching practices for three decades,” said A.G. Kawamura, Secretary, California Department of Food & Agriculture and a judge for the Leopold Conservation Award. “He demonstrates the natural compatibility between raising cattle and caring for the land, and he inspires all ranchers and farmers to work from that understanding.”

Named in honor of world-renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the Leopold Conservation Award carries a $10,000 cash award. The award is presented to: recognize extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation by exemplary private landowners; inspire other landowners; and showcase these conservation leaders to people outside of agriculture.

Chet Vogt’s Three Creeks Ranch in Glenn County is a 500 cow/calf operation that successfully integrates environmental and economic sustainability on 5,300 acres of winter rangeland, supplemented by a summer grazing permit. The core of Vogt’s holistic approach is intensive managed grazing, which rotates the cattle among 32 fenced paddocks so that each area experiences only about 15 days a year of grazing and about 350 days of rest. This supports native perennial grasses, healthy cattle and increased water retention in the soil. Vogt has also fenced off riparian corridors and livestock ponds as special management zones that receive short-duration grazing so that native plants can thrive and provide abundant nesting habitat for birds and other wildlife –Tricolored Blackbirds, Box Turtles, California Quail, Black-Tail Deer and many others.

Vogt is widely respected for bridging the gap between cattle ranchers and environmental advocates, forging effective partnerships and cultivating productive ongoing communication. He frequently hosts workshops and field trips on Three Creeks Ranch to educate ranchers, regulators and environmental scientists about his innovative practices. He has held numerous community leadership positions and currently serves California Cattlemen’s Association as the Rangeland Improvement Committee Chairman. Vogt is actively involved with the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition, which began in 2004 as a partnership between California Cattlemen’s Association, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and several environmental organizations to find common ground in rangeland conservation, and now encompasses nearly 100 agricultural, environmental and government organizations.

“It’s exciting to see California farmers and ranchers like Chet Vogt who dedicate themselves to caring for the land and operating a profitable business,” said Cornelius Gallagher, Senior Vice President, Bank of America and a judge for the Leopold Conservation Award. “He is a leader both in agriculture and in conservation, producing not only beef but also clean water and healthy wildlife habitat.” 

In 2008, Sand County Foundation will present Leopold Conservation Awards in seven states: California, Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Utah. In California, Sand County Foundation presents the award in partnership with Sustainable Conservation and California Farm Bureau Federation, and with the support of PG&E, S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, Audubon California, California Waterfowl Association, The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited and The Trust for Public Land.

The 2008 finalists in California were:

• Howe Creek Ranch, Steve and Jill Hackett –Ferndale, Calif. (Humboldt County)
• Montna Farms, Alfred G. Montna –Yuba City, Calif. (Sutter County)

“Each year, the selection committee encounters a range of California ranchers and farmers who are doing good work for agriculture and the environment,” said Dr. Brent Haglund, Sand County Foundation President. “This year’s winner, Chet Vogt, has been an agricultural leader for years. Now he is also being recognized as a conservation leader.”

ABOUT SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION
Sand County Foundation 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 the ecological landscape. 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 endure 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. www.sandcounty.net

ABOUT SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION
Sustainable Conservation partners with business, agriculture and government to find practical ways that the private sector can combat climate change and protect clean air, clean water and healthy ecosystems. The independent nonprofit organization leads powerful collaborations that produce lasting solutions and sustain the vitality of both the economy and the environment in California.  www.suscon.org

ABOUT CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU
The California Farm Bureau Federation is California's largest farm organization. It works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of 53 county Farm Bureaus throughout California, whose members include farm families and those who support the farming way of life. www.cfbf.com

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 FINALISTS

Howe Creek Ranch, Steve and Jill Hackett –Ferndale, Calif. (Humboldt County)

Steve and Jill Hackett have taken a proactive approach to integrating ecological sustainability into their 4,000 acres of forests and cattle pasturage, where the family has ranched and produced forest products for 95 years. Their forestry practices create corridors of mature forest and healthy watersheds that support salmon, spotted owls and other wildlife. The Hacketts have permanently protected their land through a conservation easement, ensuring that it will remain working timber and ranchland for generations to come. Steve helped to establish the vision and consensus for the California Rangeland Water Quality Management Plan as a prototype alternative to rangeland regulation. That plan is credited with injecting incentives and cooperation into ranch planning and restoration implementation, and with engaging environmental groups, industry groups and federal and state government agencies effectively. The plan now involves more than 1 million acres of private California ranchland.

Montna Farms, Alfred G. Montna –Yuba City, Calif. (Sutter County)

Rice grower Al Montna has created extensive habitat for wildlife, particularly waterfowl, through his 2,500-acre farming operation. He also led the way in replacing the practice of burning rice stubble with environmentally safe alternatives and reducing pesticide run-off into the Sacramento River by 90%. This year, he installed a solar power system to run the Montna Farms rice dryer. Known for bringing people together, he has held leadership positions in numerous industry organizations and public policy boards, such as Northern California Water Association, California Bay-Delta Authority and State Board of Food and Agriculture.