Kansas Leopold Conservation Award Seeks Applicants
January 26, 2026
Applications are now being accepted for the 2026 Kansas Leopold Conservation Award®.
The award honors ranchers, farmers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on working land.
Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 28 states. In Kansas, the $10,000 award is presented with Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, Kansas Farm Bureau, and the Ranchland Trust of Kansas.
Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes landowners who inspire others to consider conservation opportunities on their land. In his influential 1949 book, “A Sand County Almanac,” Leopold advocated for “a land ethic,” an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.
Award applications may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may nominate themselves. The application form can be found at www.sandcountyfoundation.org/ApplyLCA.
The nomination deadline date is June 1, 2026. Nominations must be emailed to KansasLCA@sandcountyfoundation.org.
Applications are reviewed by an independent panel of Kansas agricultural and conservation leaders. Last year’s award recipient was Wiltse Family Farms of Timken. To view profiles on all past recipients, click here.
“The Kansas Association of Conservation Districts is proud to support the Leopold Conservation Award and the Kansas landowners who apply their principles in their farming operations,” said Dan Meyerhoff, Executive Director of KACD. “Their commitment to voluntary conservation practices strengthens our natural resources, supports rural communities, and reflects the land ethic that guides our mission across the state.”
“The Leopold Conservation Award highlights farms and ranches that are strengthening their land today while protecting it for future generations because they know conservation isn’t a program, it’s a way of life,” said Joe Newland, Kansas Farm Bureau President. “I encourage any Farm Bureau member of Kansas interesting in applying to reach out to KFB for assistance completing the application.”
“RTK is a proud supporter of the Leopold Conservation Award in Kansas. It is our honor and privilege to help recognize Kansas ranchers and farmers who go above and beyond the standard in stewardship of the natural resources they manage daily,” said Barth Crouch, past board chairman of Ranchland Trust of Kansas. “Landowners should know they can nominate themselves, but they can also ask for help with their application by contacting RTK.”
“Conserving our state’s rich 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 well private land managers conserve and enhance these resources for future generations.”
“Leopold Conservation Award recipients are examples of how Aldo Leopold’s land ethic is alive and well today,” said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation President and CEO. “Their dedication to conservation is both an inspiration to their peers as well as a reminder to all how important thoughtful agriculture is to clean water, healthy soil, and wildlife habitat.”
“As the national sponsor for Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award, American Farmland Trust celebrates the hard work and dedication of the award recipients,” said John Piotti, AFT President and CEO. “At AFT we believe that exemplary conservation involves the land itself, the practices employed on the land, and the people who steward it. This award recognizes the integral role of all three.”
The Kansas Leopold Conservation Award is made possible thanks to the generous support and partnership of American Farmland Trust, Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, Kansas Farm Bureau, Ranchland Trust of Kansas, Sand County Foundation, Farm Credit Associations of Kansas, ITC Great Plains, Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Conservation, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Kansas Ducks Unlimited, Kansas Forest Service, Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Green Cover Seed.
For more information on the award, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.
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SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION inspires and empowers farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners to ethically care for the land to sustain water resources, build healthy soil, and enhance wildlife habitat. www.sandcountyfoundation.org