California Rangeland Trust Honors Conservation Leaders at A Western Affair 2025

(SANTA YNEZ) – OCTOBER 16, 2025

The California Rangeland Trust honored two remarkable leaders in land stewardship during A Western Affair 2025, held on October 4 at Rancho Santa Barbara near Santa Ynez in Santa Barbara County. The signature gathering brought together 400 supporters, landowners, and partners to honor California’s ranching heritage and the families who conserve and care for the land.

The 2025 Conservationist of the Year Award, recognizing extraordinary volunteer conservation achievement by a private landowner, was presented to Karen Sweet and her late husband, Darrel Sweet, in honor of their lifetime of dedication to ranching, leadership in the cattle industry, and steadfast commitment to conservation.

Few families have done more to advance both the ranching way of life and the protection of California’s open spaces than the Sweets. Darrel, a respected rancher and visionary leader, served as president of the California Cattlemen’s Association and was admired statewide for his advocacy on behalf of ranchers and private land stewardship. He was also a founding member of the California Rangeland Trust’s Board of Directors, later serving as Chairman and then as an Emeritus Council member, continuing to lend his insight and passion to the organization’s mission.

Karen is a leader in her own right, serving as a board member of the Alameda County Resource Conservation District, an active member of the Alameda County CattleWomen, and a longtime leader in the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition. Her advocacy, mentorship, and steadfast commitment to protecting working lands have earned her deep respect among her peers and within the broader ranching community. Together, she and Darrel voluntarily placed their ranch in the Altamont hills near Livermore under a conservation easement with the Rangeland Trust, permanently protecting more than 360 acres of working rangeland.

“Darrel and Karen have been part of the Rangeland Trust family from the very beginning,” said Rangeland Trust CEO Michael Delbar. “Darrel’s passing was a tremendous loss to all who knew him, but his influence continues to guide our work and inspire our mission. Karen has carried that same spirit forward with such strength and grace. Their shared vision for the land and their belief in the power of conservation have shaped this organization in lasting ways, and we’re deeply honored to celebrate them.”