South Dakota Ag Connection - Leopold Conservation Program Seeks S.D. Nominees

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Leopold Conservation Program Seeks S.D. Nominees
South Dakota Ag Connection - 10/25/2016

Sand County Foundation, the South Dakota Cattlemen's Association and the South Dakota Grassland Coalition are accepting applications for the Leopold Conservation Award program in South Dakota. The $10,000 award honors South Dakota farmers, ranchers and other private landowners who voluntarily demonstrate outstanding stewardship and management of natural resources.

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the Leopold Conservation Award recognizes extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. It inspires other landowners through these examples and provides a visible forum where farmers, ranchers and other private landowners are recognized as conservation leaders. In his influential 1949 book, "A Sand County Almanac," Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage, which he called "an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity."

Nominations must be postmarked by March 6, 2017, and mailed to Leopold Conservation Award, c/o South Dakota Cattlemen's Association, 116 N. Euclid, Suite C, Pierre, SD 57501. Nominations may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may nominate themselves.

The award will be presented at the South Dakota Cattlemen's Association Convention in Pierre on Nov. 29.

The Leopold Conservation Award in South Dakota is possible thanks to generous contributions from many organizations, including: Belle Fourche River Watershed Partnership, Bad River Ranches, South Dakota Cattlemen's Association, Daybreak Ranch, Ducks Unlimited, South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation, First Dakota National Bank, South Dakota Grassland Coalition, South Dakota Department of Agriculture Resource Conservation & Forestry, South Dakota Discovery Center, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks, Millborn Seeds, Mortenson Family, Professional Alliance, South Dakota State University College of Ag and Biological Sciences, The Nature Conservancy Western Dakotas Program, Partners for Fish & Wildlife, South Dakota Pheasants Forever, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, South Dakota's Conservation Districts, and World Wildlife Fund Northern Great Plains.

For application information, please visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.

The Leopold Conservation Award is a competitive award that recognizes landowner achievement in voluntary conservation. Sand County Foundation presents Leopold Conservation Awards in California, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Sand County Foundation (www.sandcountyfoundation.org) is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to working with private landowners across North America to advance ethical and scientifically sound land management practices that benefit the environment.

The South Dakota Cattlemen's Association (www.sdcattlemen.org) is a member-driven organization working to advance and protect the interests of all cattlemen.

The South Dakota Grassland Coalition (www.sdgrass.org) is a non-profit organization that seeks the voluntary improvement of grasslands for the long-term needs of the resource and its various species. The SD Grassland Coalition is dedicated to improving and maintaining the state's grasslands by informing and guiding grassland managers to make cost-effective and environmentally sound management decisions.

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