In 1999, after decades of hard use and overgrazing, a ranch called the Double H enchanted a man as rare as the landscape itself. The ranch connects the Datil Mountains with the Gallinas, as well as two portions of the Cibola National Forest, harboring thickly timbered ridges, rocky canyons, and sagebrush-speckled flats that shift color with the rising and setting of the sun. At its center lies a broad plain, 30-acre lake, and rich wetland. This fertile oasis in the high desert spawns abundant elk, deer, pronghorns, and quail, which in turn support predators like mountain lions and coyotes. Few parcels of such proportion remain so wild and undeveloped in the lower 48.


A Vision for Stewardship in a Threatened Landscape

Walking the ranch is like stepping out onto the Serengeti. 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.

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 property and purchasing it in its entirety. Though Bob passed away just two years afterward, 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 it the Torstenson Wildlife Center (TWC) to honor Bob’s conservation ethic and his vision.


Working Laboratory

Bob saw the TWC as a conservation education showcase—a unique opportunity to develop partnerships, test stewardship practices, and most importantly, create enthusiasm for taking care of the land. Today, it is an outdoor laboratory for ecological, wildlife, and natural resource study. Land managers work alongside educators, biologists, government employees, and volunteers to test new land-management practices.


Restoring the Landscape

The model is working. Native plant communities are rebounding. Herd counts 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—conservation showcase for all to enjoy and for others to emulate.