Awards
Each year, the Utah Section recognizes individuals from across the state that demonstrate excellence in rangeland management. Award recipients are nominated by members of the Section for their leadership, knowledge, ingenuity, and involvement in the natural resources community.
2024 Award Recipients
Range Manager of the Year
Alan Bass
“Alan has dedicated 20 years to range management, beginning his career with Utah BLM in the Salt Lake Field Office after graduating from Utah State University. Over the years, he has been involved in some of Utah’s longest-running court cases regarding grazing allotments demonstrating his commitment to addressing complex and often contentious issues with professionalism and integrity. Since 2015, Alan has served as the State Range Lead for Utah BLM, where he has consistently promoted, supported, and encouraged BLM Range staff to actively participate in the Society for Range Management (SRM). In this leadership role, he has guided range managers through adopting the Sage-grouse Habitat Assessment Framework, implementing AIM (Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring), and integrating these processes into grazing permit renewals. Alan is widely recognized as an expert in range policy related to the BLM. He is known to be approachable, knowledgeable, and a trusted resource for questions pertaining to BLM grazing management. His open, honest, and straightforward approach has earned the respect and trust of policymakers, permittees, and grazing managers alike. He has a unique ability to balance the rigorous requirements of grazing regulations with the practical realities faced by livestock operators, ensuring that actions are practical and workable. Alan has focused on building strong, lasting relationships with rangeland users and managers throughout his career. He is always willing to engage in meaningful dialogue and seek collaborative solutions that benefit all parties. His dedication, integrity, and leadership have made a significant and lasting impact on the stewardship of Utah’s rangelands.”
Nominator, Eric Thacker
Outstanding Young Range Professional
Destiny Allgood
“Destiny graduated from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, with a B.S. and M.S. in Biology. As part of her graduate research, she conducted habitat restoration in Attwater’s prairie chicken enclosures at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. Destiny has been with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 2018 and was previously a biological science technician stationed at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia. Destiny has made one of the small communities she serves her home, valuing the rural culture, agricultural can-do mentality, and sense of community. She came to Utah in the summer of 2021 as a biologist for the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. Destiny’s responsible for working with landowners and other partners to implement voluntary habitat restoration on private lands with the goal of improving land health and producer sustainability and efficiency for livestock, wildlife, people, and rural communities. In her short time with the USFWS Partners Program, she has engrained herself in the communities she serves and built trust with landowners and partners in conservation and agriculture. She’s been able to reach a whole new subset of partners in addition to her Programs traditional partners, opening doors to less-served landowners and conservation partners in Utah. She exhibits exceptionalism in performing her job duties, going above and beyond what is expected. She represents her program, other programs, and her private landowner partners with integrity and a work ethic that can be relied upon. She really goes the extra mile to serve producers in northern Utah. She can be found getting up before dawn, driving back to the office in the dark, and in the field getting dirty implementing projects or volunteering to help others. With her excellent communication skills, fun and engaging personality, and always following through with her commitments, the producers and partners trust her and value her opinion. Besides completing her own program duties, she is constantly assisting her partners with their programs to better serve the producers and do good for the land. Partners across the public and private sector seek out Destiny when it comes time to put project plans together and develop proposals for funding. Destiny has done an exceptional job at securing a diversity of funding to complete projects, serve landowners, and accomplish her program goals while integrating other partners goals across both private and public land, ensuring everyone’s dollar goes further and serves more people. For example, she played a critical role in obtaining grant money to facilitate virtual fencing trials. Her work doesn’t stop there either; she was the first one to volunteer to do the dirty work and showed up to the cattle corals to help put collars on the cows and record data. Destiny understands the principle of presence, and how true presence without timelines and agendas can build working relationships and enduring friendships. Destiny is exemplary of what an outstanding young range professional is because she cares about the people, the land, and doing what is right for the resource. For these reasons, and many more, we nominate her for Outstanding Young Range Professional of the year.”
Nominators, Clint Hill and Clint Wirick
Outstanding Young Range Professional
Cory Farnsworth
“Cory Farnsworth graduated from Southern Utah University in 2019 with a Bachelors Degree in Agriculture Science and Industry with emphasis’ in Rangeland & Natural Resource Management and Plant Science. While attending college, Cory was active in Range Club and was the president during his senior year. He attended the National SRM Meetings in 2018 and 2019 in Minneapolis and Denver where he competed in the Plant ID, URME, and Speaking contests. While still enrolled in college, Cory was hired on with the Forest Service as a Student Pathways Intern as a Rangeland Management Specialist. Cory worked for the Manti La Sal National Forest Service in the Moab and Monticello Ranger Districts for a total of 5 years. While working for the Forest Service, Cory was instrumental in introducing some of the first virtual fencing projects in the region in response to the Pack Creek Wildfire. Cory currently works for Utah State University Extension in Grand County where he was worked for 3 years. The largest agriculture resource in the county is public lands grazing and he works hard to promote responsible rangeland management by working with ranchers, training Forest Service personnel, and promoting grazing. Cory has been the Utah High School Range Camp Director for the past 3 years and has assisted with the camp since 2018. Cory has published an article about the importance that Range Camp has had on local youth and to the Range Management Industry. Cory has served on the La Sal Sustainability Collaboration for 7 years and been a member of the SRM for the same amount of time where he has served as a board member, the Southern Chapter President and helped plan several SRM tours. Cory is a lifetime member of the SRM. Recently, Cory was invited to the International Rangelands Congress in Australia as a Rangelands Delegate where he presented on the success of High School Range Camp.”
Nominator, Cheyenne Reid