Llano Seco owner lauded

The work that Richard Thieriot, owner of the 18,000-acre Llano Seco Ranch in western Butte County, has been doing to preserve the natural values of his land has earned him several awards, and last week he won another.

The Environmental Law Institute selected him for its 2009 National Wetlands Award in the Land Stewardship category, in recognition of his having placed 14,000 acres of his property in conservation easements designed to maintain “a mosaic of wetlands, agricultural lands, riparian forest, oak woodlands, and native grasslands that support a uniquely rich and diverse array of wildlife.”

Thieriot was nominated for the award by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge.