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The John Lee and Ellen Njos family has been selected as the 2026 North Dakota Leopold Conservation Award® recipient.
The award honors farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on working land.
The Njos family’s 4,800-acre Coyote Creek Ranch is located near Rhame in Bowman County. They will be formally presented with the $10,000 award in December.
Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 28 states. In North Dakota, the award is presented with North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition, North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts and the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association.
Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who inspire others with their dedication to environmental improvement. In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold advocated for “a land ethic,” an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.
North Dakota landowners were encouraged to apply, or be nominated, for the award. Applications were evaluated by an independent panel of North Dakota’s agricultural and conservation leaders.
ABOUT JOHN LEE AND ELLEN NJOS FAMILY
The ranching career of John Lee and Ellen Njos has been defined by innovation and their lifelong willingness to test boundaries. They admit their ranch’s survival often depended on it.
Since purchasing Coyote Creek Ranch in 1973, the Njoses’ willingness to adapt, learn, and rethink conventional practices has made their landscape more economically and environmentally sustainable.
John Lee defies the American West’s iconic, rugged individualist rancher image with his willingness to organize, educate, and collaborate. His ability to share his life’s experiences has advanced adoption of conservation practices far and wide.
John Lee credits influential mentors with encouraging him to adopt non-traditional ranching methods. After joining his district soil conservation board in 1986, the district sent him to a holistic grazing course taught by Allan Savory. That investment in him turned out to be transformational.
John Lee learned how fencing and grazing practices can be used to grow better grass and improve soil’s infiltration of water. He not only began installing new practices at home, but he encouraged other ranchers to do the same. These relationships led to the creation of the North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition.
An early innovation was installing cross-fencing despite considerable social pressure. The results validated the risk: the land responded dramatically, showing that thoughtful experimentation could unlock ecological potential and improve overall productivity. That experience laid the foundation for a pattern of innovation in land and livestock management.
As his understanding of holistic management deepened, he undertook water development projects including buried pipelines, solar wells, and strategically placed dams. This reduced grazing pressure on riparian areas, enhanced livestock distribution, improved water quality, and reestablished beavers to their portion of Coyote Creek. All of this was accomplished in a brittle environment that annually receives just 10 inches of rain.
John Lee has kept 35 years of detailed rain records for the two separate parcels that make up the 4,800-acre Coyote Creek Ranch in Bowman County. Today, he and Ellen ranch with their daughter Angie and her husband Luke Rodakowski. Their son Chad ranches nearby with a similar conservation ethic.
Decades ago, John Lee planted tall wheatgrass strips across his fields to combat soil erosion from wind. Recently, he embraced bale grazing as a regenerative soil building technique to enrich nutrient-poor areas with organic matter and carbon, while reducing machinery use, fuel consumption and emissions. To restore degraded cropland, cover crops are grown to build soil structure, enhance microbial function, and prevent erosion. A diverse cover crop mix also provides forage for cattle and wildlife to graze.
The Njoses have worked with the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Ducks Unlimited, North Dakota Game & Fish, and Audubon to host bird inventories and migration research, and support grassland bird capture and tagging. They are restoring 270 acres of diverse native grasses and forbs through Audubon’s Conservation Forage Program. Their enrollment in Audubon’s third party verified “Bird Friendly Beef” program is a result of bird-friendly grazing practices that help stabilize grassland bird populations.
John Lee played a key role in forming a landowner working group focused on improving sage grouse management. His leadership and practical expertise helped shape management approaches that are effective for conservation and feasible for landowners to implement.
Through the years, John Lee’s influence grew as he engaged in regional and national conservation efforts, but to describe him as a “pillar of the community” understates the depth of his influence. He has long embodied a servant-leader ethic, rooted in mentorship, open communications, and a steadfast belief in learning alongside others. These qualities have earned him widespread respect across North Dakota and beyond.
ACCOLADES
“Congratulations to the John Lee and Ellen Njos family on being selected the 2026 Leopold Conservation Award winner for North Dakota. John Klee has served as a mentor along with being a founding member of the coalition. The Njos family are dedicated stewards and advocates for the management and conservation of some of the most beautiful grazing and working lands in North Dakota,” said Derrick Dukart, NDGLC Chairman.
“The John Lee Njos family exemplifies what it means to be true stewards of the land. Their commitment to caring for North Dakota’s natural resources while building a sustainable ranching legacy is an inspiration to producers across our state. The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association proudly congratulates the Njos family on this well-earned Leopold Conservation Award,” said Randy Schmitt, NDSA President.
“John Lee and Ellen Njos are true conservation pioneers who have embraced innovative conservation practices for long-term sustainability. The Njos family are strong advocates for sound conservation practices and believe mentoring hands-on is the best tool for practice adoption,” said Monte Bloms, North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts President.
“These award recipients are examples of how Aldo Leopold’s land ethic is alive and well today,” said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation President and CEO. “Their dedication to conservation is both an inspiration to their peers as well as a reminder to all how important thoughtful agriculture is to clean water, healthy soil, and wildlife habitat.”
“As the national sponsor for Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award, American Farmland Trust celebrates the hard work and dedication of the award recipients,” said John Piotti, AFT President and CEO. “At AFT we believe that exemplary conservation involves the land itself, the practices employed on the land, and the people who steward it. This award recognizes the integral role of all three.”
Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award in North Dakota is made possible thanks to the generous support of the American Farmland Trust, North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition, North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts, North Dakota Stockmen’s Association, Starion Bank, North Dakota Game & Fish Department, Agassiz Seed & Supply, Audubon Great Plains, Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Burleigh County Soil Conservation District, Cass County Soil Conservation District, Cow Chip Ranch, Delta Waterfowl, Ducks Unlimited, Emmons County Soil Conservation District, KEM Electric Cooperative, Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative, North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, North Dakota Natural Resources Trust, Pheasants Forever, Roughrider Electric Cooperative, Slope Electric Cooperative, The Nature Conservancy, and The Wildlife Society.
For more information on the award, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.
SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION inspires and empowers farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners to ethically care for the land to sustain water resources, build healthy soil, and enhance wildlife habitat. www.sandcountyfoundation.org
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