Award winner announced
The Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust (WSGLT) is proud to announce the Flitner family of Diamond Tail Ranch has been selected to receive the 2025 Kurt Bucholz Conservation Award.
This award recognizes the Flitners’ deep-rooted commitment to land stewardship, rangeland health and wildlife conservation, all while maintaining a productive and sustainable ranching operation.
The Kurt Bucholz Conservation Award, a highly-esteemed recognition, is a testament to the legacy of the late Dr. Kurt Bucholz, a rancher from Carbon County who was an early supporter of the WSGLT.
The award is bestowed upon individuals who, like Bucholz, embody the agricultural stewardship values and conservation ethics which are the foundation of WSGLT’s work.
“The Diamond Tail Ranch exemplifies conservation and cattle ranching with a long-standing commitment to improving rangelands, riparian areas and wildlife habitats,” said nominator Barton Stam. “Through innovative practices like sagebrush management, wetland restoration and strategic livestock grazing and feeding, the Flitner family has demonstrated both environmental stewardship and agricultural sustainability.”
The Diamond Tail Ranch has implemented a wide range of conservation efforts, including collaborative work with the Bureau of Land Management to maintain and improve grazing allotments, as well as proactive sagebrush management to enhance habitat for mule deer, sage grouse and other native species.
On their private lands, the Flitners have actively improved riparian zones and restored wetlands, creating critical habitat for waterfowl, amphibians and songbirds.
In a recent project, the ranch relocated corrals away from sensitive marshlands, balancing ranching needs with improved water quality and wildlife protection. Their innovative use of hay feeding as a soil-enhancement technique also reflects their practical and creative approach to land stewardship.
Beyond their conservation work, the Flitners have been active voices in the broader agricultural community.
Jamie Flitner has served on the Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee in the Wyoming Legislature, and the family has a long history in leadership roles within the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA).
In recognition of the Flitners’ dedication to conserving Wyoming’s agricultural lands, the family will be presented with a bronze statue sculpted by the late Jerry Palen during WSGLT’s 25th Anniversary Celebration at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Events Center in Cheyenne on Aug. 22.
Tickets for the celebration can be purchased by visiting auctria.events/25thCelebration, e-mailing kendra@wsglt.org or calling 307-772-8751.
WSGLT is dedicated to conservation through ranching. Based in Cheyenne, the nonprofit organization serves the entire state and is Wyoming’s only agricultural land trust. Through partnerships with ranch families, WSGLT holds and stewards conservation easements on more than 300,000 acres of agricultural land throughout Wyoming. Founded in 2000 by WSGA, it is one of the largest regional land trusts in the U.S. For more information, visit wsglt.org.
