Kansas Leopold Conservation Award seeks nominees

Do you know a Kansas farmer, rancher or forester who goes above and beyond in the care and management of natural resources? Nominate them for the 2020 Kansas Leopold Conservation Award.

Sand County Foundation presents the Leopold Conservation Award to private landowners in 20 states for extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. In Kansas, the $10,000 award is presented annually by Sand County Foundation, Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, and the Ranchland Trust of Kansas.

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes those 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. Applications are reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders.

The application deadline date is June 1, 2020. Applications can be emailed to [email protected]. If mailed, applications must be postmarked by June 1, and mailed to the following:

KACD

c/o Dan Meyerhoff

414 Autumn Lane

Hays, KS 67601

The application can be found at www.sandcountyfoundation.org/ApplyLCA.

“The Leopold Conservation Award Program provides a valuable opportunity to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of Kansas agricultural landowners who are committed to strong conservation practices and effective stewardship,” said Dan Meyerhoff, Executive Director of the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts.

“RTK is a proud supporter of the Leopold Conservation Award in Kansas. It is an honor to help recognize those conservationists who go above and beyond in the stewardship of our natural resources,” said Cade Rensink, Chair of the Board of Ranchland Trust of Kansas.

“Conserving our state’s rick and diverse natural resources is ingrained deeply in the culture of our multi-generational farms and ranches,” said Kansas Agriculture Secretary Mike Beam. “The Leopold Conservation Award serves an important role of reminding the general public of how private land managers conserve and enhance these resources for future generations.”

“Leopold Conservation Award recipients are at the forefront of a movement by America’s farmers and ranchers to simultaneously achieve economic and environmental success,” said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer.

The award will be presented at the KACD Annual Convention in Wichita.

The 2019 recipient of the award was Ted Alexander of Sun City. The first Kansas Leopold Conservation Award was presented in 2015 to Sproul Ranch of Sedan.

The Leopold Conservation Award Program in Kansas is made possible thanks to the generous support of Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, Ranchland Trust of Kansas, Sand County Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Evergy, The Farm Credit Associations of Kansas, ITC Great Plains, Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Conservation, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, Kansas Forest Service, McDonald’s, The Nature Conservancy in Kansas and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

For more information on the award, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.