Sand County Foundation, in collaboration with Utah Farm Bureau Federation and the Utah Cattlemen’s Association, presented its $10,000 Leopold Conservation Award to Darrell Johnson of Tooele County.
 

“Sand County Foundation is pleased to partner with the Utah Farm Bureau and Utah Cattlemen’s Association to, once again, bring the Leopold Conservation Award to their beautiful state,” said Dr. Brent Haglund, Sand County Foundation President. “The Johnson Family is among the many private landowners in Utah who are leading the way in modern conservation nationwide. This is our second year of presenting the award in Utah, and the Johnsons’ operation is another terrific example of how a well-run ranch can turn a profit while also protecting and restoring natural resources like grassland, water and wildlife.” Read more ...

*** Watch a video highlighting some of the Johnsons' many accomplishments ***

2008 FINALISTS

Karl & Raymond Heaton, Heaton Ranch, Kane County
The Heaton Ranch, located in Kane County, is managed by fourth generation ranchers Karl and Raymond Heaton, who are first cousins. The ranch was severely overgrazed during the early part of the 20^th century, but the Heaton family has focused the last 60 years on continuous range improvement that now supports a substantial trophy mule deer herd and abundant other wildlife. In his letter of recommendation, Kane County Farm Bureau president Merlin Esplin described the Heatons as “good examples to all the cattlemen in the county. They set a high standard and many look to them for advice and assistance in improving herds of cattle and enhancing range conditions.” The Heatons have supplemented their income through their own guided trophy mule deer hunting business and cattle drives with paying guests. They are innovative in other ways as well, from constructing a state-of-the-art cattle handling facility and expanding their feedlot facility, to novel approaches to grassland management. In 1986, the Heatons formed the Paunsagunt Landowners Association to negotiate compensation for deer predation problems through the sale of marketable deer tags. “It is obvious that the Heatons carefully research solutions to issues that arise and then couple this with common sense and wisdom gained from years of experience working the land,” wrote Esplin.

Butch & Jeanie Jensen, Tavaputs Ranch, Carbon County
Fourth generation ranchers Butch and Jeanie Jensen, together with their son Tate and daughter Jennie, manage their 30,000-acre Tavaputs Ranch in central Utah. The Jensens hunt trophy mule deer and elk here, and the ranch attracts people from all over the world who come to stay at the guest ranch from June to October. The Jensens’ range philosophy has always been to undergraze the resource, leaving a safety net for times of drought or fire. In 2001, that philosophy landed them in federal court defending their 270,000-acre BLM grazing allotment. The BLM was charging that, since they were only using 65% of the allotment each year, they didn’t need the other 35%. Dr. Roger Banner and Dr. Jim Bowns of Utah State University testified that the family should be commended for their practices rather than penalized, and they prevailed on the issue.

D.A. Osguthorpe, Red Pine Land and Livestock, Summit County

 

 

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 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 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.

 

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 21,000 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.

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. 

WESTERN AGCREDIT
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.

The Leopold Conservation Award in Utah is made possible through the generous support of: