Heidi Redd

Heidi Redd, a photo by Semester in the West on Flickr.

Heidi Redd
Dugout Ranch Manager, The Nature Conservancy
San Juan County, UT
September 25

Heidi Redd has lived and run cattle at the Dugout Ranch for over 40 years, giving her a wealth of knowledge and experience with the landscape. The ranch covers 300,000 acres of private and public land and is one of the largest ranches in the county. After 23 years of running her cattle privately on the ranch, Heidi entered into a partnership with The Nature Conservancy, selling the land and cattle to TNC while retaining her private residence on the land and a role as ranch manager. The partnership protects the Dugout Ranch from development in addition to serving as the home of the Canyonlands Research Center. Heidi has deep roots in this landscape and identifies as both a conservationist and a cowgirl, which gives her a unique perspective on grazing and land management. She is committed both to providing a valuable food product and to protecting the land by running her cattle sustainably. Her hope is that through the partnership with TCN and its ongoing research, the Dugout Ranch can serve as an example for how to manage grazing on this landscape in a sustainable way.

By Nevé Baker