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Nominate a California farmer or rancher to win up to $10,000!

LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARDS SEEKS NOMINEES: CALIFORNIA FARMERS AND

RANCHERS MANAGING THEIR LAND AND RESOURCES SUSTAINABLY

San Francisco (April 19, 2006) – For the first time, the Leopold

Conservation Award will be presented in 2006 to a California landowner

who demonstrates responsible stewardship and management of natural

resources. Nominations of California farmers and ranchers are sought for

the $10,000 prize.

“We’re proud to bring the Leopold Conservation Award to California in

partnership with Sustainable Conservation and the California Farm Bureau

Federation to honor the voluntary conservation work of private landowners

in the Golden State,” said Dr. Brent Haglund, President of Sand County

Foundation, the award’s sponsor. “California has extraordinary natural

resources, a strong and diverse agricultural sector, and untold

opportunities for effective conservation.”

Given in honor of Aldo Leopold, the Leopold Conservation Award recognizes

extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. In his influential

book, A Sand County Almanac (1949), Aldo Leopold called for an ethical

relationship between people and the land they own and manage – which he

called “an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity.”

“The land ethic described by Aldo Leopold is alive and well today in

California,” said Ashley Boren, Executive Director of Sustainable

Conservation. “From protecting streams to restoring habitat, from

harvesting trees sustainably to growing crops responsibly, California

private landowners can contribute to a healthy environment and a healthy

economy every day.”

“The Leopold Conservation Award shines a spotlight on the California

farmers, ranchers and foresters around the state who demonstrate this

ethic through responsible management of the land and natural resources,”

said Doug Mosebar, President of California Farm Bureau. “It’s important

to not only recognize their achievements but also to inspire other

landowners to take a more active role in protecting and restoring the

environment.”

The Leopold Conservation Award will be presented annually in California

beginning in 2006 by Sand County Foundation, Sustainable Conservation and

California Farm Bureau. Nominations will be considered in three

categories: Nurseries and Crops; Dairy, Beef and Poultry; and Rangeland

and Timber. The California Award will be presented December 4, 2006 at

the California Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention in Anaheim, at

the opening plenary session.

The nomination deadline is July 14, 2006. For more information, visit

www.leopoldconservationaward.org , email suscon@suscon.org or call (415)

977-0380.

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