Barby Ranch of Clark and Comanche counties has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Kansas Leopold Conservation Award®.
The award honors farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in the management of soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on working land.
Barby Ranch’s owners, Bill and Debbie Barby, were presented with the award at the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts’ Annual Convention. They receive $10,000 for being selected.
Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust will present Leopold Conservation Awards to landowners in 28 states this year. In Kansas the award is presented with the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts and the Ranchland Trust of Kansas.
Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes farmers and forestland owners who inspire others with their dedication to environmental improvement. In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold called for “a land ethic,” an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.
Kansas landowners were encouraged to apply, or be nominated, for the award this year. Applications were reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders from Kansas.
Barby Ranch’s remote location poses some challenges, including no permanent access roads and no utilities.
But that doesn’t deter Bill Barby. His passion for conservation and collaboration knows no bounds.
Through rotational grazing, prescribed burns, and removal of invasive trees, Bill has restored the ranch’s native habitats and ecological functions. Thousands of acres of healthier grassland and riparian areas provide habitat for imperiled species like the Lesser Prairie-Chicken, whooping crane, and Arkansas River shiner. Conservation partnerships have achieved improved water quality, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration on the landscape.
Bill says rotational grazing is the cornerstone of Barby Ranch’s revival. Decades ago, he and wife Debbie divided the ranch into two pastures, high ground in the sand hills, and lower ground along the Cimarron River that flows through the ranch. They later tapped into conservation program resources to finance cross fencing and water developments. Two pastures became nine before the ranch was further divided into 26 paddocks.
For grazing efficiency, the Barby’s cow-calf herd is moved through the paddocks as one group. Their movements are scheduled by a plan that provides grass rest and full recovery between grazings. This system has allowed the Barbys to profitably increase their stocking rate by 40 percent. Neighbors took notice of this successful strategy and adopted the same approach.
Rotational grazing encourages growth of deep-rooted grasses that can rebound quickly after drought or wildfire. This was put to the test when the entire ranch burned in 2017’s Starbuck wildfire, the largest in Kansas’ history.
Given the ranch’s remote, off-the-grid location in Clark and Comanche counties, solar energy powers water wells while gravity-flow pipelines supply watering tanks. Cameras monitor movement at the perimeter gates and water tank levels, and photos sent to cell phones cut costs by saving many miles of driving.
Bill undertook a mix of mechanical removal and prescribed burns to stop the encroachment of
Tamarisk and Eastern Red Cedar trees along the ranch’s productive and valuable river bottom corridor. Widespread tree cover was replaced with more than 200 varieties of native grasses, plants, and forbs. Strong populations of native fish and birds at Barby Ranch are indicators of clean water and healthy grasslands.
Bill also used prescribed fire to manage Sand Sagebrush on pastureland instead of broadcasting chemicals that would have killed nontargeted broadleaf vegetation. These beneficial plants can comprise more than 30 percent of cattle’s diet while benefitting pollinators and grassland birds.
Though not common practice in Kansas, Bill’s use of prescribed fire as a conservation tool has demonstrated a natural alternative to control tree infestation and prevent wildfires. A variety of landowners and conservation professionals have visited Barby Ranch to see its transformation and the innovative practices being used.
Bill’s conservation ethic has led him to serve in local and regional leadership roles, including the Cherokee Strip Prescribed Burn Association and the Lesser Prairie Landowner Alliance.
“The most successful and difficult thing I have done is to develop and implement a succession plan with a non-family heir,” Bill said of leasing his ranch.
Now in its third year, the tenant owns a percentage of the cattle and conducts day-to-day operation, while Bill oversees the land’s management.
At a time when the Great Plains’ grasslands are among the most threatened ecosystems in North America, and bird and pollinator populations are in decline, who better to mentor the next generation than Bill Barby.
ACCOLADES
“We appreciate the leadership shown by Barby Ranch is demonstrating the importance of active conservation practices in grazing lands,” said Mike Beam, Kansas Secretary of Agriculture. “Their commitment to the grasslands of Kansas sets a high standard and helps define what stewardship can look like across the state.”
“Bill’s passion for conservation is very evident through the innovative practices he has implemented, by opening his ranch to research, and by his willingness to share what he has learned with others through field days and conferences,” said Dan Meyerhoff, Kansas Association of Conservation Districts Executive Director. “Bill exemplifies the extraordinary commitment celebrated by the Leopold Conservation Award.”
“RTK is delighted to announce that Bill and Debbie Barby are the Kansas Leopold Conservation Award recipients,” said Barth Crouch, Ranchland Trust of Kansas Board Chairman. “I have followed their commitment to conservation for many years. Bill has been very strong in sharing his efforts and projects with other ranchers and ranching families across the state.”
“These award recipients are examples of how Aldo Leopold’s land ethic is alive and well today,” said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation President and CEO. “Their dedication to conservation is both an inspiration to their peers as well as a reminder to all how important thoughtful agriculture is to clean water, healthy soil, and wildlife habitat.”
“As the national sponsor for Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award, American Farmland Trust celebrates the hard work and dedication of the award recipients,” said John Piotti, AFT President and CEO. “At AFT we believe that exemplary conservation involves the land itself, the practices employed on the land, and the people who steward it. This award recognizes the integral role of all three.”
Among the many outstanding landowners nominated for the award were finalists: Janus Farms of Cherryvale, and Glenn and Barbara Walker of Brookville. The first Kansas Leopold Conservation Award was presented to Sproul Ranch of Sedan in 2015. Last year’s recipient was Ray and Susan Flickner of Wichita.
The Leopold Conservation Award in Kansas is made possible thanks to the generous support of American Farmland Trust, Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, Ranchland Trust of Kansas, Sand County Foundation, Farm Credit Associations of Kansas, ITC Great Plains, Kansas Department of Agriculture (Division of Conservation), Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Kansas Ducks Unlimited, Kansas Forest Service, Green Cover Seed, McDonald’s, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and a Kansas Leopold Conservation Award recipient.
For more information, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.
