Conservation Achievement Award 2023
/The Annual Wildlife Society-Utah Chapter awarded Ron & Brandie this years Conservation Achievement Award. This award recognizes people for their outstanding contributions in Wildlife Management!
RECEIVING award at the annual wildlife society convention- utah chapter in grand junction, co
Nomination write up by Clint Wirick
Please accept the following nomination for Ronald (Ron) Johnson and Brandie Hardman of Boulder Mountain Guest Ranch (BMGR) in Boulder Utah. BMGR and its properties sit at the base of the Aquarius Plateau, located north of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Ron and Brandie have worked tirelessly across its properties to improve the sustainability of natural ecosystems and agriculture. They have worked and continue to work collaboratively with state and federal agencies, NGOs, private business, and many other conservation partners.
Ron and Brandie are innovative in their approach to land conservation and willing to do things outside of what is considered ‘normal’ to reach common solutions. They invest their own resources such as time, equipment, and funding to accomplish collaborative conservation goals. Many projects have been self-funded throughout the years. Ron and Brandie have an innate ability to see things at a broad scale, understanding how larger issues may affect local consequences. This broad vision is illuminated in the diverse ways in which they approach their local business dealings and conservation projects.
Ron and Brandie have taken special interest in ecosystem sustainability and soil health principles. During this time, they have hosted workshops on soil microbiology and sustainable ecosystem principles taught by themselves and by experts in the field. They have also implemented many of the practices they teach.
Specifically, Ron and Brandie have implemented innovative methods to keep agricultural lands productive through soil health principles and rotational grazing while increasing ecosystem health for wildlife. Working with USFWS, private contractors, NRCS, Utah Division of Wildlife, Trout Unlimited, and other partners, Ron and Brandie restored over two-dozen emergent wetland ponds while re-hydrating historically hydric soils on over 30 acres, with more planned for this spring.
Sweetwater creek runs through BMGR and used to be a straitened eroded ditch. Ron and Brandie worked with several partners to restore natural channel morphology and now Sweetwater Creek looks once again like a creek. They’ve planted more native plants than can be counted and seeded large acreages to restore native vegetation. They have also protected, documented, and invited researchers to learn from the beaver conducted restoration on the ranch. These beavers have stopped erosion, increased streambed elevation, and have now created 47 ponds and wetlands on BMGR. Pollinators, bats, songbirds, waterfowl, big game, turkeys, rodents, aquatic insects, fish, amphibians, and the local communities have all benefited from Ron and Brandies holistic approach to ecosystem health.
Clint Wirick
USFWS Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program
UT Program Coordinator
Fish & Wildlife Biologist