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Stewardship tour examines award-winning ranchWyoming A tour of the Golden Willow Ranch, near Sheridan, sponsored by the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, took place June 14. The ranch, owned by Paul and Catherine Kukowski, is the winner of the 2007 Leopold Conservation Award, which is presented by Wisconsin-based Sand County Foundation as part of the Wyoming Environmental Stewardship Awards program. Tour participants, numbering over 100, piled into 15 sport-utility vehicles to get a first-hand view of the ranch's operations and conservation initiatives. The tour, guided by Paul Kukowski, consisted of six stops at various points on the ranch, including a visit to the ranch's 101-year-old reservoir. "Stewardship tours like this are a terrific way to experience the economic and environmental success of a ranch in person," said Dr. Brent Haglund, Sand County Foundation president. "The Kukowskis should be extremely proud of their operation, and we hope that their dedication to environmental sustainability will inspire other landowners to undertake similar conservation initiatives, not only in Wyoming, but nationwide." One of the Kukowskis' first major projects on their ranch was the installation of a water delivery system, which allowed a change in grazing patterns. This enabled the ranch to withstand the current drought without drastically reducing herd size. The altered grazing patterns, in turn, improved native plant life, riparian areas, and wildlife habitat. The ranch is now experiencing growing populations of mule deer, antelope, and numerous bird species. Tour participants included representatives from Sand County Foundation, Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural Land Trust, the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Senator Mike Enzi's office, Wyoming Livestock Roundup, and numerous Wyoming landowners, including the Barlow Family, recipient of the 2006 Leopold Conservation Award. The annual stewardship tour, which is organized by the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and the Wyoming Department of Agriculture CRM Program, is an educational event that showcases the recipient of the annual Leopold Conservation Award in Wyoming. For more information, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org, e-mail Kosha Olsen at kosha@wysga.org or call 307-638-3942. 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. In 2006, Sand County Foundation will present Leopold Conservation Awards in Wisconsin, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, and California. We anticipate offering awards in four additional states in 2007. 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 Wyoming Stock Growers Association The Wyoming Stock Growers Association was organized on April 4, 1872 to advance and protect the interest of the state livestock producers. It was the second state cattlemen's organization created in the United States, and was the first association formed in the Wyoming territory. Wyoming Stock Growers Association's mission is to serve that industry by protecting its economic, legislative, regulatory, judicial, environmental, customs and cultural interests. It is the only organization in the state focused entirely on serving the needs of the cattle industry, which is the largest segment of Wyoming's agricultural production. The association lobbies and tracks issues at both the state and national levels; working closely with the state and federal agencies that write regulations affecting the industry.
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