Landowner of the Year 2009 - Steve Nall
Western Creek Co. landowner Steve Nall was recently awarded
the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's Landowner of
the Year Award.
Every year the Wildlife Department selects a landowner who has
gone above and beyond to improve their property for wildlife
habitat, and according Alan Peoples, chief of wildlife for the
Wildlife Department, this year is no exception.
Nall is the owner of Canyon Creek Ranch in western Creek Co.,
which spans over 1,000 acres of mixed hardwoods with scattered
mixed grass openings. His wildlife conservation efforts include
prescribed burning, food plot management and participation in
several Wildlife Department landowner programs such as the Deer
Management Assistance Program, the Wildlife Habitat Improvement
Program and fish stocking program. Nall also participates in the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife
Program and actively involves his young daughters in his effort
while introducing them to the outdoors.
“It's wonderful that Steve is introducing these girls to the
outdoors and it's obvious from visiting with him and some of the
pictures that he has shown of the place that it's about the
kids,” said Russ Horton, lands and wildlife diversity supervisor
for the Wildlife Department.
Efforts such as prescribed burning have led to increases in
wildlife on the property while also helping control the spread
of Eastern red cedar.
“I certainly consider it a privilege and an honor to be selected
as Landowner of the Year and definitely appreciate the
recognition and the work not going unnoticed,” Nall said. He
added that the work and progress on his ranch would not have
been possible without the Wildlife Department and its employees
as well as everyone who has helped work on the ranch.
“An achievement like this is definitely a group effort, and I
want to take this time to just thank everybody that's been
involved,” Nall said.”
To learn more about wildlife conservation and landowner programs
operated by the Wildlife Department, log on to
wildlifedepartment.com.