A prestigious award program that celebrates voluntary conservation by farmers and forestland owners is coming to New England.
The Leopold Conservation Award® recognizes landowners who inspire others with their dedication to ethical land, water and wildlife habitat management on agricultural land.
Sand County Foundation will present the annual award in partnership with New England Forestry Foundation and American Farmland Trust-New England.
New England’s first award recipient will receive the $10,000 award later this year.
The Leopold Conservation Award is given to farmers, ranchers and foresters in states across the U.S. in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold. In his influential 1949 book, “A Sand County Almanac”, Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.
Applications for the first New England Leopold Conservation Award are now being accepted. Owners of forestland and farmland in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont may apply for the award themselves or be nominated by another party. Applications will be reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and forestry conservation leaders.
The application is found at: https://sandcountyfoundation.org/uploads/New-England-2019-CFN.pdf
Applications must be postmarked by July 15, 2019 and mailed to:
Leopold Conservation Award
c/o New England Forestry Foundation
P.O. Box 1346
Littleton, MA 01460
“Leopold Conservation Award recipients are at the forefront of a movement by America’s farmers, ranchers and foresters to simultaneously achieve economic and environmental success,” said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation President and CEO.
The New England Leopold Conservation Award is made possible through the generous support of New England Forestry Foundation, American Farmland Trust-New England, The John Merck Fund, The Ida and Robert Gordon Family Foundation, Wildlands and Woodlands, Whole Foods Market, David and Ann Ingram, and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
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LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD PROGRAM is a competitive award that recognizes landowner achievement in voluntary conservation. Sand County Foundation presents the award in California, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont). www.leopoldconservationaward.org
SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION inspires and enables a growing number of private landowners to ethically manage natural resources in their care, so future generations have clean and abundant water, healthy soil to support agriculture and forestry, plentiful habitat for wildlife and opportunities for outdoor recreation. www.sandcountyfoundation.org
NEW ENGLAND FORESTRY FOUNDATION
At the core of New England Forestry Foundation’s work stands the belief that both conserving forestland and practicing sustainable forestry are essential to preserving the beauty, prosperity, wildlife habitats, and unique character of our region for future generations. Our approach strives to serve and unite people and organizations across the region to support the long-term health of New England’s forests, and to guarantee their continued environmental, recreational, and economic benefits for all New Englanders. https://newenglandforestry.org/
AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST-NEW ENGLAND
The mission of American Farmland Trust is to save the land that sustains us by protecting farmland, promoting sound farming practices, and keeping farmers on the land. https://farmland.org/our-work/where-we-work/new-england
