Stan Kimbell with Kimbell Ranches was named the Wildlife Department’s 2004 Landowner of the Year at the October meeting of the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The Kimbell Ranches encompass over 31,000 acres in southwest and south-central Oklahoma. Throughout the history of the ranches, the Kimbells have kept wildlife considerations as a top priority when making land management decisions.

“The Kimbell Ranches are the epitome of true land stewardship,” said Rod Smith, southwest region wildlife supervisor for the Wildlife Department. “Very rarely will you find an operation so willing to commit to and enthusiastically complete such a wide variety of wildlife projects.”

The Kimbell Ranches, primarily a cow/calf operation, use an advanced rotational grazing system to ensure both nutritious forage for cattle and quality habitat for upland birds. Each pond and creek on the ranches has also been carefully fenced to improve wildlife habitat around these sensitive areas.

“As we all know Eastern red cedar can be a real detriment to livestock operations and wildlife habitat. The Kimbell Ranches have recently completed a massive cedar control project covering 15,000 acres,” Smith said.

According to Smith, the Kimbell Ranches have been very cooperative over the years in wildlife research projects conducted on their property. The Kimbell Ranch in southwest Oklahoma is home to the state’s largest private land elk herd. Researchers are studying elk movements and how they use available habitat. The ranch is also home to 40-acre wind turbine farm. Researchers are studying how these facilities affect wildlife.

The Kimbell Ranch in Love County is part of the state’s largest Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP) and is currently the focus of a quail research project.

Those interested in more information on the Department's Landowner of the Year program can contact John Hendrix, the Department's private lands biologist at (405) 880-0994.

To be considered for the prestigious award, landowners must demonstrate a commitment to managing their property to provide benefits for wildlife.