Ute Creek Cattle Company of Bueyeros has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural New Mexico Leopold Conservation Award®.

Tuda Libby Crews and her husband Jack revitalized their ranchland in Harding County by removing invasive species and adopting a rest/rotation grazing system for their beef cattle. The Crews will be presented with the $10,000 award at the Quivira Coalition’s Regenerate 2021 event in Albuquerque, November 3-4.

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the prestigious award recognizes farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who inspire others with their dedication to land, water, and wildlife habitat management on private, working lands.

Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present the Leopold Conservation Award to private landowners in 23 states for extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation.

In New Mexico, the award is presented with New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts, Quivira Coalition and New Mexico Coalition to Enhance Working Lands.

Tuda and Jack improved wildlife habitat by restricting grazing on six miles of riparian area, and established a 23-acre sanctuary dedicated to imperiled shortgrass prairie birds in 2014.

“We’re excited to support the Leopold Conservation Award in New Mexico, and that this year’s award will go to Ute Creek Cattle Company. Tuda and her family have done the long and hard work of improving their rangeland and restoring their riparian areas, brining neighboring rangers together to talk about conservation strategies, and making significant contributions to keeping their small town vital,” said Sarah Wentzel-Fisher, Quivira Coalition Executive Director.     

“The New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts (NMACD) is proud to work through our local Soil and Water Conservation Districts along with the Quivira Coalition to recognize the hard work that our New Mexico farmers and ranchers do every day to improve our natural resources,” said Willard Hall, NMACD President.

“Recipients of this award are real life examples of conservation-minded agriculture,” said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer. “These hard-working families are essential to our environment, food system and rural economy.”

“As the national sponsor for Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award, American Farmland Trust celebrates the hard work and dedication of the Ute Creek Cattle Company,” said John Piotti, AFT President and CEO. “At AFT we believe that conservation in agriculture requires a focus on the land, the practices and the people and this award recognizes the integral role of all three.”

Earlier this year, New Mexico landowners were encouraged to apply (or be nominated) for the award. Applications were reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders. Among the outstanding New Mexico landowners nominated for the award was finalist JX Ranch of Tucumcari in Quay County. 

The Leopold Conservation Award is given to farmers, ranchers and forestland owners 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.

The New Mexico Leopold Conservation Award is made possible through the generous support of American Farmland Trust, Sand County Foundation, New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts, Quivira Coalition, New Mexico Coalition to Enhance Working Lands, Dixon Water Foundation, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services of New Mexico, Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association, John Duncan and Anita Sarafa, and Holistic Management International.