This document discusses the Leopold Conservation Award, which recognizes private landowners for outstanding voluntary conservation achievement. It provides information on the award's national scope and focus on recognizing landowners who demonstrate conservation ethics through their stewardship of natural resources. The award helps increase awareness of positive conservation practices and educates the public through media coverage and landowner events. Examples of award coverage across media outlets reaching over 450 million impressions in 2021 are also mentioned. The document discusses how the award can benefit partnerships between organizations and provide opportunities to find common ground on conservation issues.

1. Lance Irving
National Program Director
Leopold Conservation Award
Heidi Peterson, Ph.D.
Vice President
Ag Research & Conservation
Empowering Landowners,
Embracing a Land Ethic

2. Recognizing
private
landowners for
extraordinary
achievement in
voluntary

3. “When we see land as a community
to which we belong, we may begin to
use it with love and respect.”
“we can only be ethical in relation to
something we can see, understand, feel,
love, or otherwise have faith in.”
-Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac, 1949
A Land Ethic

5. Active States

6. National Scope
Local Knowledge
Conservation Ethic
Resilience
Leadership and Communication
Innovation and Adaptability
Ecological Community

7. Leopold Conservation Award Outcomes
Increased awareness of conservation practices by
industry peers through exposure at high profile
events.
Media exposure of positive, landowner-led
engagement in conservation.
Greater education of members of the general
public who are disconnected from agriculture.
Experiential learning, through events such as
farm/ranch tours and symposia, that help leading
landowners and partners reach their full potential
as conservationists.

8. Leopold Conservation Award Publicity
Award presented by governors and
other high profile influencers at high
visibility events.
Coverage coast to coast in both
mainstream publications and trade
journals.
Online, print and broadcast news
mentions in both consumer and
agricultural trade media.
National media impressions in 2021
were over 450,000,000!

9. Example of how state specific
stories reach beyond state borders
States where this particular
article appeared

10. Diverse Media Coverage

11. Benefits and Opportunities
The LCA is state specific and each state has
the ability to customize the program to best
fit the needs of the state.
Coalition building between involved
organizations.
Positive message and compelling media
collateral.
Opportunity to find common ground.

12. Common Questions
Who is eligible?
The LCA recognizes “working lands.” While the recipients sole source of income does not
have to be derived from the land, there should be a financial component of the work
they are doing on the land.
What types of production are eligible?
The short answer is all. It is the conservation practices demonstrated not the type of
production.
Who Judges?
A panel of state specific experts serve as the judging committee. Generally this includes
representatives from Academia, Commodity Groups, Conservation Organizations,
Governmental and Peer Landowners.

14. Historically underserved producers make up approximately 40% of all U.S.
farms; beginning-farmer operations accounting for the largest proportion.
(Ahearn & Newton, 2009; Nickerson & Hand, 2009)
They often operate on more environmentally sensitive land and when they
participate in programs such as EQIP, they tend to enroll more highly erodible
land than other participants. (Nickerson & Hand, 2009)
Beginning and limited-resource farmers typically manage fewer acres than
established farmers, and are more likely to farm closer to impaired water
bodies. (Nickerson & Hand, 2009)
When beginning farmers are not using federal conservation programs, it is
because they do not yet know about them. (Ackoff et al., 2017)

15. Discussion Panelists
Sarah Blaney
Executive Director
Oklahoma ACD
Jean Lam
Program Manager
CARE
Oklahoma ACD
Land Ethic Mentorship Mentee
Jim Kopriva
2012 South Dakota
LCA Recipient
Grant Victor
2020 Oklahoma
LCA Recipient

16. Lance Irving
lirving@sandcountyfoundation.org
845-594-7595
Heidi Peterson
hpeterson@sandcountyfoundation.org
612-504-7186
Thank you!