May 13th, 2019
By Nathan W. L'Etoile
Leopold Conservation Award Comes to New England
At American Farmland Trust, we think saving farmland by the inch is just as important as saving it by the acre. Not only that, farmland is home to many of the country’s birds, insects, and other wildlife. About half of the nation’s protected species use private working lands for 80 percent or more of their habitat. We could not conserve our farmland without farmers taking the lead, and they should be recognized for that.
AFT is proud to help bring a prestigious award program to New England that celebrates farmers who take voluntary conservation action. The Leopold Conservation Award®recognizes landowners who inspire others with their dedication to ethical land, water, and wildlife habitat management on agricultural land. This award will be presented by the Sand County Foundation in partnership with American Farmland Trust and New England Forestry Foundation.
New England’s first award recipient will receive national recognition for their work and a $10,000 cash award.
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.
“There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace.” -Aldo Leopold, A sand County Almanac, 1948
Applications for the first New England Leopold Conservation Award are now being accepted. Farmers and owners of 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 can be found at: https://sandcountyfoundation.org/our-work/leopold-conservation-award-program/state/new-england-region
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