Barnett receives award

The Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust awarded Alan Barnett its eighth annual Kurt Bucholz Conservation Award at its Annual Roundup, held August 29 at Warren Livestock Co.'s Pole Creek Ranch outside of Cheyenne.

Many Wyoming producers know Barnett through his work with Farm Credit Services but in addition to his career as an ag lender, Alan and his family bought a ranch on Gooseberry Creek at the edge of Hot Springs County.  A conservation easement on that ranch was completed in 2005 and led the way for three neighboring ranches to sell agricultural conservation easements on their lands. Thus began the process of protecting an entire watershed. Since then, much of the upper reaches of Gooseberry and its tributaries have been protected. Upon receiving the award, Barnett told attendees, "I am humbled and honored to have been given this award and glad to work on projects that further Wyoming's natural resource heritage."

 Barnett and his neighbors have also worked with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the local Conservation Districts on removal of invasive Russian olive and salt cedar, and on stream bank restoration.  Barnett also worked with Wyoming Game and Fish on conserving Sage grouse habitat, well before it became the hot topic of today. 

The Kurt Bucholz Conservation Award is named for the late Dr. Kurt Bucholz DVM, one of the Stock Growers Land Trust's early supporters who, along with his wife Laura, ranched in Carbon County. For many years Dr. Bucholz devoted countless hours to his county and state. He demonstrated a keen understanding of state and local water issues, and was adamant about protecting the upper North Platte Valley's vital and historic water rights. A rare cancer claimed his life in December 2006. The Stock Growers Land Trust and Laura Bucholz created the Kurt Bucholz Conservation Award in 2008 to be presented annually to an individual who exemplifies Kurt's conservation values, particularly those that center on protecting and nourishing Wyoming's working ranches.