Selmans in Tremonton Receive Leopold Award

Wisconsin-based Sand County Foundation, in collaboration with Utah Farm Bureau Federation and the Utah Cattlemen’s Association, presented its $10,000 Leopold Conservation Award to the Selman Family, whose ranching operations are located in Cache and Box Elder Counties near Tremonton, on November 8 at the Utah Association of Conservation Districts Annual meeting in St. George. The award is presented in six other states, but 2007 is the first year it will be presented in Utah.

Through four generations, the Selman family has gone out of their way to promote sustainable ranching and farming operations while conserving habitat and implementing model stewardship practices. The family’s ranching legacy clearly demonstrates how a deeply engrained family stewardship ethic has lead to enhanced efficiency, increased production, and greater profitability.

The Selman story dates back to the 1940s when Harold and Dorthella Selman began ranching and farming in the Tremonton area. It was then taken over by their son, Fred, and his wife, Laura, who continue to manage the ranch. Their son, Bret, and his wife, Michelle also help on the ranch. The ranch is currently comprised of five main properties, including the 6,700-acre Four Mile Ranch and the Home Ranch, which includes a substantial community garden. Approximately 2,500 head of ewes and 125 head of stock cows are raised annually.

The family has employed numerous conservation practices through the years, including planting windbreaks for wildlife and bird nesting; rotational grazing; planting native vegetation; developing alternate water sources to protect riparian areas; preserving water quality and quantity; and enhancing habitat for rare wildlife.

The Selmans have also made a commitment to reaching out to a myriad of federal, state, and local land management partners, as well as the agricultural community and the general public. Bret is involved in the Utah Farm Bureau, Bridgerland Audubon, and the Division of Wildlife Resources Advisory Committee. Fred is Chairman of the Northern Utah Soil Conservation District. Laura has served on the Board of the Farm Service Agency, Northern Region Shrub-Steppe Working Group, and also as a past auxiliary president for the UACD. The Selmans also often serve as spokespeople for ranching and conservation interests by working with local and state media to get information out to the public.

For more information, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.

59th UACD Convention in St. George

The November 8-9 UACD annual convention was held this year for the first time at the St. George Dixie Center. This is the second year meeting in cooperation with the Utah RC&D state association and the UtahPCD. Over 200 people attended representing 12 of the 15 members of the Utah conservation partnership, the Utah Farm Bureau, The Nature Conservancy and the Sand County Foundation. A popular panel, Reinvesting in Utah’s Land and Water, included state legislators Senator Dennis Stowell and Rep. David Clark.

The convention wrapped up with a closing banquet, some good fun, and more than an hour of laughs. Fortunately for those who stayed through the banquet, the now popular singer, impersonator, comedian, and ventriloquist Terry Fator performed. Terry earlier this year was named America’s best new act winning the NBC “ America’s Got Talent” contest.

If it’s not already on your calendar, the dates for next year’s meeting at the Davis County Conference Center in Layton are November 13-14, 2008. On November 5-6, 2009 we anticipate returning to the St. George Dixie Center.