In 1999, after decades of hard use and overgrazing, a ranch called the Double H enchanted a man as rare as the landscape itself. Stretching between two mountain ranges—the Datils and the Gallinas—and two portions of the Cibola National Forest, this sprawling and awesome landscape harbors thickly timbered ridges, deep coulees and steep hillsides that shift color with the rising and setting of the sun. At the property’s center is an expansive plain, 80-acre lake and rich wetland. This island in a sea of arid country nurtures elk, deer, pronghorns and quail, which in turn strengthen predators like mountain lions and coyotes. In the Lower 48, few pieces of private land this large remain so wild and undeveloped.
Wild and Threatened
Walking the ranch is like stepping out onto the Serengeti. It feels as remote as tundra. Yet, just 100 miles away, the suburbs of Albuquerque thrum and push outward, inching closer to the ranch. Even the quiet, nearby town of Datil has seen its share of development, with working ranches giving way to ranchettes.
A Vision for Stewardship
This combination of size, proximity to civilization and quality of habitat makes the ranch not only rare, but also a significant conservation opportunity. Bob Torstenson recognized that, falling head over heels for the sprawling property and purchasing it in its entirety. Though Bob passed away just two years after taking ownership of the ranch, he laid out a vision for stewardship that has guided the land’s management since.
Bob gifted all 95,000 acres of the Double H Ranch and a $4 million endowment to the Elk Foundation. The foundation renamed the ranch the Torstenson Wildlife Center (TWC) to honor Bob’s conservation ethic and his conservation education vision.
Working Laboratory
That vision begins with quality wildlife habitat and the restoration of native plant communities. But it also includes people. Bob saw the TWC as a conservation education showcase—a unique opportunity to develop partnerships, test stewardship practices and, most importantly, to create enthusiasm for taking care of the land.
Today, the property is an outdoor laboratory for ecological, wildlife and natural resource study. The Elk Foundation leads an assemblage of conservation organizations, hunting groups, and state and federal agencies committed to healthy landscapes. Land managers work alongside educators, biologists, government employees and volunteers to test new land-management practices. And the cream of the nation's Boy Scouts get to take weeklong off-trail High Adventure Camps on the ranch an dengage in hand's-on stewardship.
Restoring the Landscape
The model is working. Native plant communities are rebounding. Herd counts and herd health for elk, antelope and deer continue to improve. And water sources have recharged. All the while, the TWC remains true to its working heritage—producing native grasses and forbs for both livestock and wildlife.
The TWC is becoming what Bob knew it could be—an economically and ecologically sound conservation showcase for all to enjoy and for others to emulate.