Johnson Mountain Ranch Named 2014 Utah Leopold Conservation Award® Recipient
November 24, 2014
SANDY, Utah – (November 24, 2014) - Sand County Foundation in partnership with the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, Utah Cattlemen’s Association, Western AgCredit and the are proud to name Johnson Mountain Ranch as the recipient of the prestigious Utah Leopold Conservation Award®. Stuart and Carma Johnson, with their son Jared and his wife Ginger, own and operate the cattle ranch near Aurora.
The Leopold Conservation Award honors Utah landowner achievement in voluntary stewardship and management of natural resources. The Johnsons were presented with a crystal award and $10,000 at the Utah Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Convention in Layton.
Finalists for the award included Jerrold Richins of Coalville, and William “Junior” Goring and son Blake of Deweyville.
The Johnsons graze cattle on different landscapes year round. With help from partners, the family has worked to improve the health and productivity of the ranch. Some of their conservation practices include a rotational grazing program, removing juniper and other brush, and reseeding spring range infested with cheat grass.
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.”
“We congratulate the Johnson family – and all the applicants – for this award, as they are examples of the commitment many of Utah’s farmers and ranchers have to taking care of the land and water of our great state,” said Leland Hogan, President of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. “The Johnson’s conservation ethic is rooted in all they do, and helps ensure they will continue to graze livestock for many years to come.”
“Western AgCredit congratulates the Johnson family for winning this prestigious award in recognition of their multigenerational conservation efforts. The four generations of Johnson’s who have been on their ranch are proof that sound conservation results can be achieved while simultaneously maintaining their ranch’s economic viability,” said Richard Weathered, president. “Conservationist Aldo Leopold made the following challenge to stewards of the land: ‘Examine each question in terms of what is ethically and aesthetically right, as well as what is economically expedient.’ The Johnson family has achieved this critical balance.”
“The Utah Cattlemen's Association is proud to be a part of a cooperative effort between Utah agriculture groups and Sand County Foundation to recognize landowners in Utah who practice outstanding stewardship and dedication to the principles of conservation,” said Brent Tanner, Executive Vice President, Utah Cattlemen's Association.
The Leopold Conservation Award in Utah is made possible through the support of the
Western AgCredit, Utah Farm Bureau Federation, Utah Cattlemen’s Association. Producers Livestock Marketing, The Nature Conservancy, DuPont Pioneer, Farm Credit, The Mosaic Company and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.
Visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.
ABOUT THE LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD PROGRAM
The Leopold Conservation Award is a competitive award that recognizes landowner achievement in voluntary conservation. The award consists of $10,000 and a crystal depicting Aldo Leopold. Sand County Foundation presents Leopold Conservation Awards in California, Colorado, Kentucky, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
ABOUT SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION
Sand County Foundation is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to working with private landowners on voluntary, ethical and scientifically sound land management practices that benefit the environment. www.sandcounty.net
ABOUT UTAH FARM BUREAU
The Utah Farm Bureau is the largest general farm and ranch organization in the state with more than 27,000 member families. Its mission is to improve economic opportunities for the state’s farmers and ranchers, ensure America’s food security, protect the natural resources of our state, and improve the overall quality of life in the sate and nation through political action, educational and informational means.
ABOUT UTAH CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION
The Utah Cattlemen’s Association (UCA) has represented Utah cattle producers since 1870, preserving the heritage and strength of the industry through education and public policy and by supporting and establishing the adoption of good principles of raising and marketing cattle and caring for the land we ranch on. Efforts are made possible through membership contributions.
ABOUT 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.