Governor Dave Heineman announces Leopold Conservation Award recipient
In honor of Earth Day, Governor Dave Heineman announced the Buell family as the recipient of the 2012 Leopold Conservation Award April 20, during a ceremony at the Capitol.
The Leopold Conservation Award, named in honor of world-renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, is comprised of $10,000 and a Leopold crystal. Sand County Foundation, Nebraska Cattlemen and Cargill present the award annually to agricultural families in Nebraska who practice responsible land stewardship and management.
“As we prepare to celebrate Earth Day, we acknowledge the conservation efforts of Nebraska landowners, including this year’s award recipients, the Buell family,” said Governor Dave Heineman. “More than ninety percent of Nebraska’s land is used for farming and ranching. It is being well cared for by those who take on the responsibility of leaving things better for future generations. Conservation on private land is something Nebraskans do very well. We all benefit from the work of private landowners who are preserving the natural beauty of our state.”
The Buell family is part of the fabric of the Nebraska Sandhills. For nearly 130 years, they have ranched in the region, while caring for the land, water and wildlife that each Buell generation passed on to the next.
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Read about past Leopold Conservation Award winners in Nebraska
NEBRASKA PARTNERS
Sand County Foundation 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 endure 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.
The Nebraska Cattlemen is a grassroots organization whose individual producer members determine issues of importance to the Nebraska beef industry. The mission of the Nebraska Cattlemen is to nurture profitability for Nebraska beef producers and to provide leadership to the cattle industry in Nebraska, across the United States, and around the world.
Nebraska Cattlemen performs three basic functions. First, the association represents the beef cattle industry to the legislative and administrative branches of the state and federal governments. Second, it explains beef production (including safety of the product, use of natural resources, care of animals, and beef economics) to the public and opinion influencers. Third, it provides economic and other information to members to aid them in their own planning and management.
Cargill
As a food and agricultural company, Cargill's goal is to nourish people. Human food and animal feeds depend on clean water, soil, air, and light. As teh world's population continues to grow, so too do teh demands on the environment. A sustainable future requires investing in environmental innovation today. At Cargill, we are aware that our global reach creates high expectations for leadership in resource stewardship. We look to innovation as a way to preserve and protect the environment, whether by using energy and resources more wisely (which also helps reduce energy costs), pioneering profitable business and product lines that make use of renewable raw materials or helping customers shrink their environmental footprints.
The Leopold Conservation Award in Nebraska is made possible through the generous support of:
