Dale and Janet Veseth have decided to donate their $21.6 million ranch to the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance.
RSA is a nonprofit organization founded and led by ranchers. According to the Whitefish Pilot, Dale has been working with the organization for several years.
“We’ve watched RSA grow and become something very special,” he told the publication. “We’re proud to know the ranch will be a part of it. They’ll keep operating the way they should.”
The organization works to keep rural communities strong and ranching ecosystems resilient through sustainable ranching.
It wants to help ranchers use their land wisely and engage in conservation so ranches can remain sustainable for generations to come.
The RSA was surprised to learn of the donation. RSA president Conni French noted: “I think we were all completely taken aback, and to be honest, I don’t think the shock has worn off.
“It’s hard to put into words what a move like this would mean, not just for the RSA, but for the future of ranching and conservation in the country.”
The Land Trust Alliance notes that such donations help in many ways, including protecting habitats, addressing social inequities and combating the climate crisis.
This donation is not Veseth’s first attempt to do the right thing by the environment they manage and rely on. Over the years they have also won awards for the way they manage their land.
These include the Outstanding Environmentalist of the Year Award from the Phillips Reserve, the Region 5 Environmental Stewardship Award from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and the Quivira Alliance’s Clarence Birch Award, among others.
You can tell the family has cared for the land they farm over the years.
The Vises family weren’t the only wealthy people to choose surprising donations over other options when it came to managing their estates in later life.
In Massachusetts, the White family signed over 400 acres of forest to the Land Conservation Trust. Elsewhere, Donna Roggenthien deeded 326 acres of land in Maine to Maine woodland owners.
Donating a property ensures that the land the owner cares about is looked after, helping to protect the environment and biodiversity, rather than risking it being built on for years to come.
Remember, even if you don’t have a large tract of land to donate, any donation to a climate-friendly cause can help protect ecosystems and a thriving natural world.
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