Mitloehner Receives Conservation Impact Award
The California Rangeland Trust recognized CLEAR Center Director Dr. Frank Mitloehner, with the 2026 Conservation Impact Award during its annual Landowner Appreciation Dinner on June 2nd at the Yolo Land & Cattle Co. in Esparto, California. The event brought together ranchers, conservation partners, and agricultural leaders to celebrate the role of working lands in sustaining California’s landscapes.
The evening centered on honoring landowner partners and the essential role they play in preserving rangelands across the state. Hosted as both a celebration and a community gathering, the event highlighted the shared responsibility of stewardship across California’s ranching community—where conservation is a daily practice tied to land, livestock, and legacy.
The California Rangeland Trust (CRT) established the Conservation Impact Award in 2015 to recognize individuals whose contributions to conservation extend beyond on-the-ground ranch management. While the organization’s Conservationist of the Year award typically honors ranching families who model sustainable practices on their own operations, the Conservation Impact Award is intentionally broader. It recognizes individuals whose work has significantly advanced conservation through science, advocacy, education, or leadership—regardless of whether they are ranchers themselves.
This year’s recognition of Mitloehner reflects that broader mission.
“This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to environmental protection and made meaningful, lasting contributions to the advancement of conservation—and Frank has done exactly that, and then some,” CRT CEO Michael Delbar said of Dr. Mitloehner prior to the event.
Delbar noted that the selection process for this year’s Conservation Impact Award was straightforward. In discussing potential honorees, Mitloehner’s name quickly rose to the top.
“The conversation around who to select for the conservation impact lasted about three seconds once we mentioned Frank's name,” Delbar said. “Everybody went, yes, absolutely.”
The organization highlighted Mitloehner’s work in communicating the science of livestock production and environmental impact, particularly through his efforts to address misinformation and improve public understanding of animal agriculture. His research and outreach have played a central role in reframing global discussions around livestock emissions, including correcting widely cited estimates that had significantly overstated the sector’s climate impact.
CRT emphasized that his work reflects a commitment to grounding public dialogue in data and scientific evidence. “The work that Frank and the CLEAR Center have done on the science behind the impact of livestock, grazing and production, and the misinformation that’s out there, has been incredibly important,” a Delbar noted. “It’s that reliance on facts and data and science to tell the truth.”
Mitloehner accepted the award with appreciation, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between universities, landowners and groups like CRT “I am truly honored to be selected for the 2026 Conservation Impact Award,” he said. “I very much appreciate the recognition and the work your organization is doing to support landowners and conservation across California.”
He went on to add that, "California's ranchers and land stewards play a vital role in maintaining healthy, productive landscapes," Mitloehner said. "I'm grateful for this recognition and proud to be part of the collective effort to ensure that our rangelands remain protected for future generations."
In addition to his work at the CLEAR Center, and as an air quality specialist and professor at UC Davis, Mitloehner was recently named the new Chair of the Department of Animal Science in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), at UC Davis, consistently ranked as the nation’s No. 1 agricultural college and one of the top programs in the world.
As Chair of the Department of Animal Science, Mitloehner will help lead one of the nation’s premier animal science programs. The UC Davis Department of Animal Science is widely recognized as one of the leading animal science programs in the nation, with strengths spanning animal biology, livestock production, sustainability, animal welfare, nutrition, genetics, physiology, and veterinary collaboration.
In addition to honoring Mitloehner, the event also celebrated Mike and Julie Sardella of Sardella Ranch in Tuolumne County as Conservationists of the Year for their stewardship efforts, including their work with conservation easements, prescribed fire practices in collaboration with Cal Fire, and participation in NRCS programs supporting land health and resilience.
The California Rangeland Trust also took the opportunity to underscore the broader context of its mission at the event. Founded in 1998 by a group of cattlemen and cattlewomen committed to protecting California’s working landscapes, CRT has since helped permanently conserve more than 433,000 acres of privately owned rangeland across 106 ranching families. The organization continues to focus on balancing ecological stewardship with agricultural productivity, ensuring that working lands remain intact for future generations.