Photos courtesy of Bruce L Hogle.

Moyer Ranch
Conservation Easement

Moyer Ranch Profile by Chris Green
High Resolution Photographs
Dedication Ceremony
Media Coverage

KTWU's Sunflower Journeys produced and aired this program explaining and highlighting the Moyer Ranch Easement:

Photos courtesy of Bruce L Hogle.

By granting a permanent conservation easement on his 6,800 acre native tallgrass prairie ranch, Mr. Rodney Moyer willingly restricted future development, while maintaining private ownership and property rights, such as continued agricultural and recreational uses. This native tallgrass prairie ranch is located in the "Heart of the Flint Hills" just south of I-70 between Junction City and Manhattan and southwest of the Konza Prairie Preserve.

Partnerships

The Moyer Ranch is our largest easement to-date, and the Kansas Land Trust utilized our partnership with Fort Riley's Army Compatible Use Buffer program to provide the landowner an alternative to wind farm development that would have negatively affected the Fort's radar system. The ranch is also prime agricultural grazing land and prairie chicken habitat, allowing KLT to draw upon NRCS Farm and Ranchland Protection Program and Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks assistance.

An interesting side-note: this property was once the Simpson Ranch -- named for the family of John Simpson and Sarah Dean, two of KLT's founding board members. Evidence that KLT's work is truly coming full circle!

Dedication Ceremony

A dedication ceremony was held 22 July 2010 to celebrate the acceptance of this conservation easement by the following distinguished guests:

The Honorable Troy Findley - Lieutenant Governor of Kansas
Mr. Addison D. (Tad) Davis, IV - Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment
Brigadier General David Petersen - Deputy Commanding General (Rear), Fort Riley
The Honorable Mike Hayden - KDWP Secretary and Former Governor of Kansas

Media coverage

Moyer Ranch Conservation Easement, KTWU Sunflower Journeys Program #2303, premiered 10/7/10

Tenth Annual Conservation Tour Will Focus on Maintaining Quality of Kansas Environment, Website of Rep. Jerry Moran (KS-01), 9/20/10

Cowboy Poet Shares His Thoughts on Progress, Kansas Farmer Magazine, 9/5/10

Conservation Easement Protects Moyer Ranch, 6,700 Acres of Flint Hills, Kansas Farmer Magazine, 9/5/10

Conservation Easement Forever Protects Moyer Ranch's Tallgrass Prairie, Grass & Grain, 8/3/10

Agreement protects land from development, Fort Riley Post, 7/30/10

Moyer Ranch Conservation Easement Dedication, WIBW 12 News, 7/22/10

Geary County rancher chooses to preserve land instead of developing wind farm, KTKA 49 News, 7/22/10

Thousands of Acres Preserved in Geary County, KSNT 27 News (video not archived), 7/22/10

Almost 7,000 acres of Flint Hills prairie now protected from development, KTKA 49 News, 7/22/10

Land trust adds 6,800 acres, Topeka Capital-Journal, 7/22/10

Kansas Land Trust Easement Makes History, Kansas Farmer Magazine, 7/22/10

Huge Ranch Pledged To Land Trust, KSAL AM 1150, 7/22/10

Kansas Land Trust, KMAN 1350 AM (audio not archived), 7/22/10

Rod Moyer Interview with Jim Doblin, WIBW 580 AM (audio not archived), 7/22/10

KS Rancher Grants Easement for Prairie Preservation, Kansas Public Radio (audio of interview with KLT Executive Director Jason Fizell not archived), 7/22/10