D.C. The award recognized Sands' efforts to create a variety of wetlands habitat and to manage his property for the benefit of both waterfowl and cattle. For the past 15 years, Bunker Sands has directed the restoration of more than 1,600 acres of wetlands on his working cattle ranch. The Rosewood Ranches project is an outstanding example of how successful agricultural practices and wetlands conservation can work together.
Habitat restoration can benefit ranchers during times of drought.
The drought that occurred in the Southwest in 1996 hit the agricultural community particularly hard. Farmers who had created, restored or natural wetlands on their property were generally in better shape, than those that did not. Wetlands with even a bit of moisture provide some limited early season grazing and also help prevent soil loss from wind erosion. Rosewood Ranches rotates its cattle grazing throughout the year. During the wetter months, Rosewood Ranches plants wheat and clover adjacent to the restored wetlands to provide food for cattle and wildlife.