LAMONT, Fla. (RFD News) —Ted Turner, one of America’s largest individual landowners and a longtime advocate for land preservation, died at the age of 87. Turner is widely known for transforming television news after launching CNN, the nation’s first 24-hour news network.
As his media empire expanded, so did his landholdings, eventually growing to roughly 2 million acres across 8 states and 13 ranches.
Much of his agricultural focus centered on expanding bison populations in the West, with his herd growing to approximately 45,000 head over the years.
Turner also became known for conservation and wildlife restoration efforts across his properties, including efforts to preserve open land and protect native ecosystems.
In 2018, Turner publicly revealed he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a progressive neurological disease.
The behind-the-scenes role helps guide jump crews as they protect rural communities.
Nebraska cattle rancher Joe Van Newkirk joins us to discuss wildfire recovery in Nebraska’s Sandhills athe challenges ranchers face restoring basic infrastructure after the fire.
Utah Senator John Curtis joins us for “Champions of Rural America” to discuss new legislation to improve forest management and wildfire prevention and its broader implications for rural communities and infrastructure.
NRECA CEO Jim Matheson joins us to discuss rural electric co-ops’ push for expanded USDA loan programs, rising energy demand from data center expansion, wildfire mitigation and other policy priorities impacting rural power infrastructure.
The fifth-generation operation is managing land and cattle with a long-term focus.
Landowners interested in protecting working ground through an easement now have another funding window open until the end of May.
