Ted Turner's conservation and landowner legacy highlighted after his death
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 7
Ted Turner's conservation and landowner legacy highlighted after his death
12 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 7
Turner died on Wednesday aged 87, owning about two million acres, including 13 ranches across six states, Turner Enterprises said.
His holdings included the 500,000-acre Vermejo Park Ranch in New Mexico and Colorado, among the largest contiguous private properties in the US.
Turner began buying bison in 1976 and ranches in the late 1980s, helping pioneer billionaire land buying and conservation in the American West.
With its founder gone, can Turner's two-million-acre conservation legacy survive on its own?
Was Ted Turner's conservation empire a gift to nature or a private playground for the elite?
Why are America's billionaires racing to become the nation's biggest private landowners?
The Controversial Conservation Empire of Ted Turner: Balancing 2 Million Acres of Private Land and Public Good
Overview
Ted Turner, who died in May 2026, left a lasting legacy as one of America's largest private landowners, transforming 2 million acres into thriving ecosystems through active restoration and sustainable management. He pioneered eco-capitalism by replacing cattle with the world's largest private bison herd, supporting biodiversity and generating revenue from bison meat, ecotourism, and hunting to fund conservation. His efforts included saving endangered species and protecting land with conservation easements. Despite controversies over limited public access and predator reintroduction, Turner's philanthropic foundations continue his global environmental and security work. His family now carries forward his vision, balancing economic viability with large-scale ecological stewardship.