PRATTVILLE, Ala. – David and Jan Farnsworth were presented with the Forest Conservationist of the Year Award at the 2026 Alabama Wildlife Federation Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards banquet on Friday, Aug. 7 at the Marriott Legends at Capitol Hill in Prattville. Gov. Kay Ivey provided a congratulatory video prepared specifically for the 2026 award recipients.
The Alabama Wildlife Federation’s Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards are among the state’s most prestigious conservation honors. For more than 50 years, the federation has recognized individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the conservation of Alabama’s wildlife and natural resources.
David and Jan Farnsworth own and manage 230 acres along Hatchett Creek in Clay County. Their goal is to manage the property in an economically sustainable manner that supports timber production, ecological enhancement, and aesthetic value.
The Alabama Wildlife Federation worked with the Farnsworths to develop a management plan to achieve those goals, and they have actively improved the property ever since. Their conservation efforts include:
- Establishing and maintaining 55 acres of early successional habitat in upland loblolly pine stands through vegetation management practices.
- Converting 70 acres of loblolly pine to longleaf pine on sites better suited for that species.
- Controlling Chinese privet on 49 acres of the Hatchett Creek floodplain and establishing overcup oak, water oak, willow oak, cherrybark oak, and swamp chestnut oak within the floodplain.
- Implementing prescribed burning practices in upland forests.
Throughout the process, the Farnsworths have collaborated with the Alabama Wildlife Federation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to maximize conservation outcomes.
