Heaton ranches win conservation award

By Scout Nelson

Heaton Ranches, located in McKenzie, has been honored with the 2024 North Dakota Leopold Conservation Award, which recognizes ranchers, farmers, and forestland owners who excel in managing soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitats on their working lands.

Owned and operated by Lewis and Sherry Heaton along with Colleen and Albert Kershaw, Heaton Ranches grazes 800 cow-calf pairs across 14,000 acres of rangeland and cultivates 6,000 acres of crops.

They will receive a $10,000 cash prize and a crystal award at the North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts’ Annual Convention in November.

The Leopold Conservation Awards are presented by the Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust to private landowners in 28 states. In North Dakota, the award is given in collaboration with the North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition, the North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts, and the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association.

Named after the renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, this award celebrates farmers and forestland owners who set an example through their commitment to environmental stewardship. In his influential 1949 work, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold advocated for “a land ethic,” emphasizing the importance of a moral relationship between people and the land they manage.

Last year, North Dakota landowners were invited to apply for or be nominated for the award. An independent panel of agricultural and conservation experts from North Dakota reviewed the applications.

The inaugural North Dakota Leopold Conservation Award was awarded to Black Leg Ranch in McKenzie in 2016, while Bartholomay Kattle Kompany from Sheldon received the honor last year.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-stockseller_ukr