The Sand County Foundation selected Philmont Scout Ranch as one of three finalists for the New Mexico Leopold Conservation Award. The award rewards voluntary conservation efforts undertaken by landowners. Philmont Scout Ranch was selected for its work to restore its lands to native quality through forest thinning, invasive plant removal, and through the wise use of natural resources. If Philmont Scout Ranch is presented the award in the fall, Philmont will receive $10,000 and a crystal award.
The Sand County Foundation is a non-profit inspired by the ethics of conservationist Aldo Leopold. Leopold is perhaps best known for his book A Sand County Almanac which details the land around his home in Sauk County, Wisconsin and illustrates his personal land ethic, which can be summed by a famous passage from his book, “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.”
The Foundation began in 1967 when they protected Leopold’s land. Since then, the Foundation has focused its efforts towards its mission, “... to inspire and enable a growing number of private landowners to ethically manage natural resources in their care so that future generations have clean and abundant water, healthy soil to support agriculture and forestry, plentiful habitat for wildlife and opportunities for outdoor recreation.” A major aspect of their work is rewarding private landowners who lead the way in ethical conservation.
Philmont Scout Ranch has a responsibility to the land we are stewards of. We strive to successfully demonstrate what a conservation-minded approach to land management can do for the wellbeing of our property. To be selected as a finalist for this award signifies that we are doing right by our land.