68 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN January 2025 about man’s relationship with the natural world, a lifelong process that culminated in his development of the land ethic outlined in A Sand County Almanac. Meine’s presentation covered many of the personal factors that led to Leopold’s successful career and the lasting impact of the book, particularly his relationship with his beloved wife, Estella, to whom A Sand County Almanac is dedicated. Meine also detailed how Estella’s familial ties to New Mexico enhanced Leopold’s own understanding of the American Southwest and its ecology. The panel discussion began with a conversation around the impact of declining numbers of Americans living on farms. Robbie LeValley of LeValley Ranches and a former Leopold Conservation Award winner pointed out that consumers have a curiosity about food systems that presents a chance for dialogue. “It’s encouraging that the one percent [agricultural producers] can talk to the other 99 percent about the whole,” LeValley said. “My powers of observation can be relayed to others with that understanding [of the whole] because there is thirst for that knowledge about the whole.” She also pointed out that a key challenge faced by land managers is getting full sets of stakeholders to view ecosystems and economies as complete systems, not as siloed projects like sage grouse conservation or cattle grazing. Historically, niche specialization has been where both public and private interest lay, and measuring the minutiae was where the funding was, particularly in the grantmaking and research space. LeValley acknowledged that growing this systems approach remains challenging and encouraged the audience to view educating the broader public as an opportunity and not a roadblock. The moderator then turned to the topic of private landowners’ role in conservation, asking the panel to address concerns regarding the public-paying landowners for conservation activity, particularly as land is increasingly owned by wealthy individuals or groups. Lesli Allison, executive director of the Western Landowners Alliance, answered the question, explaining that the public is unwilling to pay the true cost of habitat conservation and all the benefits it brings like open spaces and wildlife in our communities. Allison also tied in lessons from her experience managing a ranch in southern Colorado, stating that three major things were needed for her to be successful: 1. The knowledge of skilled workers and scientific input to know what to manage and how to do it. 2. The wealth and resources needed to execute the management and ownership of land, which is incredibly expensive. 3. The public and public policy inputs that impact what landowners are able to do. These three factors form what Allison called the foundations of stewardship, and she pointed out that, in the face of major losses of the agricultural land base, ranchers and farmers are frequently expected to shoulder the costs of caring for and maintaining the public resource of open lands. “Just like it takes a village to raise a child, it takes the whole of society to take care of the lands, the resources and the wildlife that we all need,” Allison said. “It starts with recognizing our own impacts and figuring out how we can contribute with, not against, landowners and with, not against, the people who live on and take care of these resources for us.” Erik Glenn of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust and the Partnership of Rangeland Trusts addressed a question to the panel about the economics of conservation. He echoed other panelists’ call for increased understanding among the general public about how the agricultural community is contributing to society through conservation, tying in Leopold’s point that people need to see and touch something to have a true relationship with the land. Glenn suggested that the value proposition of farming and ranching may need to change. He pointed out that, traditionally, farmers and ranchers have been compensated based on the commodity they provide, but that it may be time to consider their stewardship of the land as a contribution that may also deserve compensation. Stephen Strom, author of Forging a Sustainable Southwest, elaborated on this idea, pointing out that there may need to be further incentives that could be based around specific accomplishments, like protection of a watershed or superb stewardship. He also highlighted that government should seek new ways to make conservation easements possible and find ways to allow for agriculture to maintain a working landscape while simultaneously contributing to restoration and conservation. Several panelists also highlighted the high costs of maintaining conservation and restored lands, and said that increased spending would increase the likelihood of long-term success of those types of projects. Audience questions were wide-ranging, and a lengthy discussion ensued when an audience member asked the panelists for their perspectives on wolf reintroduction in Colorado. The panel pointed out that when species reintroduction is mandated through ballot initiatives instead of state, local or federal wildlife planning, the process is often rushed. In the Colorado case, panelists concurred that a lack of stakeholder engagement, particularly with the agricultural community, had led to a rushed effort to reintroduce the animals. They pointed out several remaining challenges with the program that include issues that fall under the four C’s: compensation, conflict prevention, control (lethal) and collaboration. The lack of clarity on compensation for livestock predation or when lethal control of habituated wolves may be necessary has complicated and challenged this process. The panel concluded by reflecting on how Leopold’s land ethic continues to shape land conservation efforts today, and how the agricultural community and other stakeholders within conservation may be able to make forward progress in addressing common challenges by centering a shared interest in land stewardship and its inherent value to society. ~NC~ NIGHTTIME FEEDING, DAYTIME CALVING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 66
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