This year’s South Dakota Leopold Conservation Award recipient is Cammack Ranch of Union Center.

Gary Cammack and his wife, Amy, operate Cammack Ranch. Their four grown sons all contribute to operation of the ranch. The Cammacks raise beef cattle in Meade County, and have implemented rotational grazing practices, constructed windbreaks and planted more than 30,000 trees. Their improvements have resulted in abundant wildlife and healthy soil, grasslands and cattle.

"Our belief is that the health of range and the vitality of the wildlife population is a barometer of how well you’ll do in the ranching business," says Gary Cammack, a fourth-generation cattle producer. He and Amy also operate Cammack Ranch Supply in Union Center.

Dakota Farmer featured Cammack Ranch several years ago in an article titled "Top 3 ranch improvements." (http://www.dakotafarmer.com/story-top-3-ranch-improvements-9-123862)

More winners
The Leopold Conservation Award is an annual award given for working lands conservation by the Sand County Foundation and many South Dakota sponsors.

Previous winners include:

2017 — Blue Bell Ranch, Clear Lake.

2016 — Cronin Farms, Gettysburg.

2015 — Jorgensen Land and Cattle, Ideal.

2014 — Rock Hills Ranch, Lowry.

2013 — Guptill Ranch, Quinn.

2012 — Kopriva Angus, Raymond.

2011 — Mortensen Ranch, Hayes.

2010 — Doud Ranch, Midland.

North Dakota
North Dakota’s 2018 Leopold Conservation recipient has not yet been announced. North Dakota joined the award program in 2016. Previous winners include:

2017 — Miller Ranch, Fort Rice.

2016 — Blackleg Ranch, McKenzie.