Trees arent just good for wood anymore. Largest Landowners by State 2023 Utah 33,000,000 Alaska 12,500,000 California 1,900,000 Maine 1,250,000 Kentucky 1,130,000 New Mexico 1,000,000 Washington 900,000 Texas 825,000 Montana 765,000 Arizona 750,000 Largest Landowners by State 2023 Largest Landowners by State 2023 At the same time they strive to help maximize potential revenue. The Faskens have several major properties in West Texas. Its his 18,000-acre Rock Springs Ranch at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains). The mammoth ranch spans eight Nebraska counties and yields plenty of alfalfa and millet for the herd. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. The Land 100 is great, but Forbes list of billionaires gets way more personal. Heart of America, a song he co-wrote with his wife, became the anthem of the Today shows campaign to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. That means the federal government controls 31.7% of the state's land. What David Pingree purchased from 100 different Maine townships in 1840 is now an ecologically managed forest supplying hardwood floors to the world. Her two main ranches, the 6666 Ranch near Guthrie and the Dixon Creek Ranch near Panhandle, total 275,000 acres. LBJ Library from Austin / public domain License. Kokernot heirs:278,000 acres in Texas. Member of both families operate six cattle ranches. The cowboy favorite is buttermilk piesugar, eggs and rich dairy products loaded into a couple of pie pans. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY. The Emmersons have transferred 6% of that chunk to the public since Curly Emerson founded the company in 1949. David Fasken, a Canadian, bought a ranch in West Texas in 1913. Spanning over 3.5 million square miles, the United States is the third largest country in the world by landmass, trailing only China and Russia. Roughly equal to: The size of Oklahoma City. The family also owns San Jose Island on the Texas Gulf Coast. The family harvests hardwood timber from the land. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Family members are mostly cattle ranchers. It's been billed "The Sale of the Century," the largest sale of deeded land in the American West for 60 years: billionaire John Malone 's purchase of the 453 square-mile Bell Ranch in New Mexico . Roughly equal to: Five times the size of Chicago. Malone's 2.2 million acres are largely located in Maine, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming and include profitable cattle ranches. He operates a ranch and children's summer camp. The family raises cattle and grows citrus. St. Louis businessman Leo Drey began making sizable donations of Missouri forest land to the non-profit in the 1960s. Land: 830,000 acres of timberland in Maine. 247,000 acres Since earning a $350 million dollar payday from Clorox, Quimby has been buying land she hopes will become Maine Woods National Park. Bezos owns 420,000 acres, much of which is in west Texas. The family still owns most of that property. Then theres the Department of Defense handling 4.6% of the land. 9 Ranch Caprock, N.M. 101,315 acres Turner's land is utilized by greater than 50,000 head of buffalo for grazing - the biggest non-public herd of bison on the earth. Many of them inherited land bought cheap at the turn of the century. Some love the land so much they end up inside it. 149,000 acres His Colorados Great Western Industrial Park became a major source of the states green job growth in 2008. 180,000 acres In 1864, great-great-grandmother Elizabeth Sinclair bought Niihau, the Forbidden Island of Hawaii, for $10,000 in gold from King Kamehameha V. Since, the family has honored the islands traditional culture, but not always to commercial success. After his family made a killing in the oil and gas business, Dan Allen Hughes Jr. has attempted to make his name with the purchase Texas hunting land. The Lydas are Texas cattle ranchers and landowners. 275,000 acres Ted Turner owns one million acres in New Mexico. His land holdings have helped knit together 800,000 acres of publicly and privately protected land from Colorados Great Sand Dunes National Park to Northern New Mexico. His cows are big, thick, good traveling, sound, fertile, hardy Herefords. An advertisement VanderSloott took out in Idaho Falls Post Register accused a reporter of bringing personal politics to a report on child molestation in a local Boy Scout troop when the reporter had not made his sexuality public. Background: Red Emmerson is president of Sierra Pacific Industries, a family-run lumber manufacturing business that ranks as California's largest private landowner. The Killam family deals largely in cattle and oil, with ranches in Texas and Oregon and oil operations in Louisiana, Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas, and Texas. 170,000 acres McDonald family: 474,000 acres in Alabama, Florida, and Oklahoma but the majority of the family's land holdings are in Maine. Clayton was set to bring his cowboy image to the Texas governorship until a set of gaffs derailed the campaign in 1990. John Malone is the largest private landowner in the United States. Irving family:1.2 million acres in Maine. 33. 255,000 acres Its recreational offerings include hunting, fishing, and eco-tourism activities. The riches helped Ed Bass build the new $540 million Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, and funded the purchase of San Jose Island off the state's Gulf Coast area. Ranches in Wyoming and Montana; ski resorts in Utah and Idaho; six other luxury hotels and resorts across the country, including The Grand American Hotel in Salt Lake City. 163,800 acres The 25 biggest landowners in America own 20 million acres -- nearly 1% of the country -- according to new data from The Land Report. Land: Holdings in many states. This hedge fund manager wears his Audubon Medal with pride. Evans turned himself in this June. 166,655 acres 192,000 acres These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Killam family: 277,000 acres, mostly ranches in Texas and Oregon and oil operations in Louisiana, Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas, and Texas. Collier was the largest landholder in the state at the time of his death. Simplot family:443,091 acres in Idaho. The family still operates two ranches in Texas, but no word on what kind of fencing they use. Oil and drilling profits helped him buy a sportsmans paradise in the Big Bend area of Far West Texas. Largest land owners in New Mexico #shorts - YouTube 135,000 acres For a basic sense of how the world of ultra-massive real estate has changed, heres one fact: Between 2012 and 2013, the top 100 added 700,000 acres to their collective portfolios, bringing their total to two percent of the U.S. land mass. ), 127,500 acres Their historic 55,709-acre Rockpile Ranch in Far West Texas is listed for $54.8 million. The federal government is the top landowner in New Mexico, controlling over 24 million acres. Background: Broe's investment and asset management company controls over 100 companies in real estate, energy and transportation. Ted Turner tops the list, with more than 2 million acres spread across 12 states. Its one of Turners most spectacular ranches. Greenpeace calls them the king pins of climate denial and Mitt Romney can thank them for holding a $50,000-dollar-a-plate fundraiser during the election. Learn how your comment data is processed. Discover the Little-Known U.S. River Gorge That's, The 9 Best Books About National Parks for Travelers, Discover 8 Extinct Animals from New Mexico, Meet the 4 Largest Land Owners in Arizona, The 15 Deepest Lakes in the United States. Collectively, the Robinson and Freed families own 300,000 acres in partnership. Father George Hearst hit silver after coming to California as a 49er and expanded into minerals and ranching. John Malone:2.2 million acres inMaine, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. Still, the family hasnt climbed in this years rankings. Who Is The Biggest Landowner In New Mexico? - PartyShopMaine They love tradition. Thank them for the shirt on your back. Lykes heirs:615,000 acres in Texas. In 1870, Dr. Howell Tyson Lykes gave up the practice of medicine to take over his familys 500 acres in Florida. Martin family: 570,000 acres in Louisiana. Roughly equal to: Twice the size of Singapore. How big is the Vermejo ranch in New Mexico? When your ranch surrounds a For Union National Monument in Northern New Mexico, you have to think slightly beyond raising cattle. 220,000 acres Eugene Gabrych has no idea. Vermejo Park is the only Turner ranch operating as a full-service guest ranch. Owners Donald and Doris Fisher co-founded the clothing brand Gap. Family members run renewable energy, lumber and wildlife services. With plans underway for a major expansion of the aerospace industry, Bezos will no doubt be a major player in the states future. 125,000 acres This businessman has ranch holdings in Texas, Florida, and New Mexico. 16:01 GMT 26 Nov 2019. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. This Person Is the Largest Landowner in America - 24/7 Wall St. Land: The Singleton ranches comprise of 29 ranches across California and New Mexico, including the picturesque San Cristobal Ranch outside of Santa Fe. The vast majority of the land held by the individuals and families on this list is located in states west of the Mississippi River. Background: The Lykes family-owned company began as a cattle ranching operation and has since expanded into bioenergy and farming. 255,000 acres 110,000 acres Some want that land for cattle, others for farming, others to test their reusable space craft (those hobby store model rockets just werent enough, were they Mr. 119,000 acres Heres how it breaks down between each division: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) handles 54.7% of the land, followed by the U.S. Forest Service at 37.4%. 152,000 acres 263,066 acres Lyda family: 260,035 acres, including La Escalera ranch in far West Texas. Brad Maurice Kelley (born 1956) is an American businessman who is the 7th largest landowner in the U.S., with an estimated net worth of US$2.2 billion in 2018. 170,000 acres 165,000 acres Much of the land is used for grazing by 50,000 head of buffalo, the largest herd of bison in the world. Roughly equal to: Two-and-a-half times larger than Indianapolis. Many of the owners are ranchers, heirs to the properties or companies founded decades ago that purchased the land. Founded by Thomas Douglas Stimson, the Stimson Lumber Company, which today operates out of the Pacific Northwest, has remained in the family for six generations. Buck is the owner of Tall Timber Trust, one of the largest owners of timberland in Maine. Background: D.M. This land is their land. For now, heres the compromise: 70,000 acres of parkland, 30,000 for hunting, snowmobiling, and logging. Of the many fowls he has sired, the family says, we havent found anything we dont like about them.. Owners of the oldest continuously operated cattle ranch in the Texas Panhandle. Theres so much private land, too, with nearly 50 acres for every person in the state. Texas Republicans' solution:Giant wind farms, Roughly equal to: The size of Luxembourg. According to his company bio, investor Arthur Nicholas made his fortune by systematizing, the process of using dynamic quantitative models to find value-added performance. He may or may not be talking about his cow and horse breeding efforts in Wyoming. , updated 49. New Mexicos top landowners are shaping the future of this unique state, making it an exciting place to live, work, and play. D.R. Together, his family owns 390,000 acres. Stan Kroenke: 1.4 million acres in Montana and Wyoming. John Malone is the largest private landowner in the United States. The largest landowner in America owns 2,200,000 acres, located largely in Maine, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. These cookies do not store any personal information. Cowboys on horseback still work these New Mexico ranches. Background: Phillip Anschutz's company has investments in energy exploration, telecommunications and agribusiness. A forest products firm with Forest Stewardship Council-certified forests in California, Oregon and West Virginia California, Oregon, West Virginia, and one of the largest private holdings in Pennsylvania. The activities help residents experience the natural world. The land and livestock division has 37 farms and 15 ranches with capacity for 30,000 mother cows. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. John C. Malone has been in the cable. 26. The ten largest landowners in America are 1. cable and media honcho John Malone (2.2 million acres), 2. lumber titans Emmerson Family, 3. 230,000 acres His ranch is a refuge for a herd of big horn sheep, trophy elk, antelope, mountain lions and stone writings from early Spanish explorers, asking Donde esta la carne? or Wheres the beef? Ya, thats a joke. The amount of land owned by the federal government has stayed steady since 1990, with a slight decline of -0.3%. Donald and Doris Fisher co-founded the clothing brand Gap Inc. Roughly equal to: The size of the island of Maui. Other than Montana Ranches, the Wilks have a firm called Frac Tech. 50. Who owns the most land in America? 50 private land owners who control The Singleton family owns a number of ranches, mostly in New Mexico. The most common exceptions to this rule are parcels located in Maine and Florida. Roughly equal to: The size of San Antonio. Roughly equal to: One-fifth the size of Delaware. 161,093 acres A good old picture of the American heartland. Heirs of the late Thomas O'Connor, who immigrated to the United States from Ireland in the 1800s, own over half a million acres, including the O'Connor Ranch in south Texas. 39. Roughly equal to: Three times the size of Dallas. 141,700 acres Before he passed away last year, an employee gave Robert Earl Holding a plaque that echoed his credo: All I want is the land next to mine. That land includes ski resorts in Utah and a whole lot of real estate in Salt Lake City, all of which he built from a small stake in a Wyoming truck stop. 290,000 acres Roughly equal to: The size of Prince Edward Island. Holding family:395,030 acres in Montana. The 40 Largest Private Landowners in New Mexico Nos. In Rural America, Right-to-Repair Laws are the Leading Edge of a Pushback Meet the Modern Graziers Who Broke Into Regenerative Agriculture, No Farmland Required, 7 Smokable Plants You Can Grow That Arent Marijuana, Sustainable Farmers See Promise in New Financing Options, New Solar Panels Allow Farmers to See the Light, The Buzzy Edible Insect Trend is Gaining Traction in the West. The Bass family fortune, like those held by many of the entries on this list, comes from oil and cattle ranching. Do fence them in. Barta family:286,000 acres in Nebraska. The discovery of oil on that ranch propelled Fasken to wealth, and now Fasken Oil & Ranch is a major oil drilling company that has heavily employed fracking technology. 190,000 acres Malone Mitchell runs Longfellow Ranches, a 500 square mile hunting preserve. Land: Approximately two million acres of forestland in California and Washington. 1 is John Malone, who can boast being the largest landowner in the US with 2.2 million acres. According the company, it turns out that Frac Techs specialty-hydraulic fracturing is one of the two drivers powering the U.S. energy renaissance. Billy Green still oversees the ranch from Albany, Texas, which won the 2002 American Quarter Horse Association Best Remuda Award. The Kokernot family's 06 Ranch brand has been registered in the state since 1837. CNN founder Ted Turner, 4. logging industry Reed. Hadley family: 260,000 acres including the huge Diamond A Ranch, which takes up a good part of New Mexico's southwestern tip. 434,500 acres This Man Owns More Land Than Anyone Else in America Not only do the private land holdings on this list often generate income for their owners, but also real estate itself is a valuable commodity. His holdings include the 292,779 acre Great Western Ranch in New Mexico and Camp Horton, a ranch near Fort Stockton, Texas, where he hosts a children's summer camp. The McDonald family's 474,000 acres are spread across Alabama, Florida, and Oklahoma but the majority of the family's land holdings is in Maine. 36. These are the 10 largest landowners in the US in 2020 Brothers Farris and Dan Wilks launched Frac Tech, a natural gas extraction company in 2002, and sold it for $3.5 billion in 2011. From Ted Turner to Jeff Bezos to the federal government, New Mexico has some of the biggest landowners in the nation. 100,000 acres Fisher family:440,000 acres in California. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider 310,472 acres 103,000 acres The Galts are a family of cattle ranchers with a number of large properties in Montana, including the Martinsdale Ranch. Since then, they have been acquiring land. The brothers started buying up Texas ranch land in 1923 and the modern day Beggs still manage much of it. Emmerson family:2.0 million acres in California and Washington. Background: Holland Ware's fortunes in the timber industry began in the early 50s with his first purchase of 100 acres for $10 when he was 15 years old. 48. The family has harvested hardwood timber from the land for five generations. But who owns the most land? 7. The terrain is diverse and spectacular to see. The owners of the land are heirs to the late Dr. Howell Tyson Lykes, who left a career in medicine to raise cattle and crow citrus. Starting with royal-looking Ramboulient sheep, the Broadbents have diversified their ranches to include cattle, horses, timber, hunting and wind turbines. O'Connor, above, continued to expand the land his father, Thomas O'Connor, was awarded in the Battle of San Jacinto. David Fasken, a Canadian, bought a ranch in West Texas in 1913 and the discovery of oil on the property led to the ceation of the Fasken Oil & Ranch, a major oil drilling. 239,000 acres Ware has transferred much of his holdings to the Holland M. Ware Charitable Foundation, which supports a number of causes, including animal welfare. The Reese Family started with a 320 acre homestead and just kept adding to it including an extra 5,200 acres this year. The combined landholdings of former Texas governor, the late Dolph Briscoe Jr., heirs total 640,000 acres. Their holdings outside New Mexico include the Peachtree and Top ranches in John Steinbecks Salinas Valley. Family membersoperate ranches. Land: Timberland throughout Oregon and California. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 112,600 acres I think the Longyear family and Longyear Heirs out of Marquette MI own at least 100,000 acres. 560,000 acres The real estate mogul is also owner of the Los Angeles Rams and married toAnn Walkton Kroenke, an heiress to the Wal-Mart fortune. Today, the familys private holdings in Texas and Florida make up one of the largest cattle operations in the country. The enormous cattle operation near Yellowstone National Park seems not to mind when elk or antelope walk by. Meet the 4 Largest Landowners in New Mexico - AZ Animals Malone made his fortune as a media tycoon, building the company Tele-Communications, Inc, or TCI, and acting as its CEO before selling it to AT&T for $50 billion in 1999. Who owns the largest ranch in Montana? Other than buying and selling financial institutions at huge markups, Ford has a deep love of the land. The Scharbauer family has focused on breeding Thoroughbreds while others pay to explore their land for oil and natural gas. 150,000 acres The family owns numerous properties throughout the northern and eastern part of the state. Among them is Ted Turner, founder of CNN and owner of private land and ranches spanning across New Mexico. And apparently yes: there is a hall of fame just for horses that cut cows from the herd. 200,000 acres 160,000 acres Whether its leasing land for renewable energy, agriculture, or commercial use, Commissioner Garcia Richard works with landowners. Roughly equal to: As large as Anchorage, AK. Like the second-biggest landowner in the country, John Malone made his fortune in telecommunications and media, and was . Ford made a career in the timber business during the Great Depression. The family descends from the 1970s Texas governor and rancher Dolph Briscoe Jr. Briscoe was the largest Texas landowner when he . 215,000 acres Background: The family business, Irving Woodlands, has roots dating back to 1882 when James D. Irving founded a company that included a sawmill, gristmill, lumber business and farms. 400,000 acres Their land is used for a range of resource extraction industries, including timber, sand and gravel, and oil. The top 100 landowners of America, who collectively own about the same amount of acreage as the state of Connecticut. Westervelt's heirs own over half a million acres across Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia. Thomas Lane Jr. makes the ranching business sound simple: Were just continuing a tradition and well expand if we can.. 535,000 acres He owns ranches in Texas, New Mexico and Kentucky. He is a cable TV mogul who currently owns the $24 billion company, Liberty Media. 1,000 turbines are currently under construction on a combination of his private land and public land in Wyoming. Kroenke adds Broken O to Q Creek Ranch, the largest contiguous ranch in the Rocky Mountains at 540,000 acres. Roughly equal to: 2,500 times the size of Vatican City. 255,000 acres These investments will work for suborbital flights. His land ownership in New Mexico will likely expand as the space industry develops. The King Ranch heirs own a four-parcel ranch in southern Texas that spreads across 825,000 acres, making it the largest ranch in the state. 40. In 1916, Joe Lane established the 9 Ranch, headquarters for his far-flung operations in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. Brad Kelley:1.2 million acres in Kentucky. 373,000 acres Zane and Tanya Kiehne own ranches that span seven counties in New Mexico and seven counties in Texas and consists mostly of mountainous terrain that is home to a variety of wildlife. Roughly equal to: Two and a half times the size of Phoenix. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. All told, Buck owns 925,000 acres. The Nunleys are a ranching family particularly proud of their genetics program around Santa Gertrudis Cattle and the size of the deer on their Texas ranches. 1,860,000 acres The comments below have not been moderated, By The West Texas rancher and oilman keeps close track of his portfolio. Briscoe heirs:640,000 acres in Texas. The 40 Largest Private Landowners in New Mexico - William P. Barrett Horton:503,000 acres in New Mexico and Texas, where he hosts a children's summer camp. Wilks Brothers:702,367 acres in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Tennessee, and Texas. Family members are long-time cattle ranchers. Land: Ranching and farmland throughout Texas. I said, Sometimes Ill wear everything I own. . 2,000,000+ acres Through Sierra Pacific, the family owns some 2 million acres in California and Washington. 27 febrero, 2023 . 150,000 acres Whatever your politics, you cant deny their love for cattle. 270,000 acres Roughly equal to: Three times the size of New York City. In 1963, Vice President Lyndon Johnson granted him irrevocable power of attorney. Doesnt run nearly the profile of her father, Wilard Garvey, who bought the ranch. The 20 biggest landowners in America | BusinessInsider India His purchase of the Sierra Grande Lodge and Spa brings tourists closer to two of his landmark properties and, ya know, space. For five generations, the Reed Family has owned and operated the logging company Green Diamond Resource Co. Family members runSierra Pacific Industries, a log business that relies on lumber fromforest fires and sells it to lumber retailers. A.S. Gages headquarters is now a high end hotel in Marathon, Texas, but it once centered more than half a million acres of grazing lands. By the way, what is it about land that makes people want to number their children? The Briscoes operation spreads over nine Texas counties and three Briscoe generations. This put them at the top of the list for the largest landowners in New Mexico. Texas Monthly calls their Alpine Cowboys baseball team, the best little semi-pro baseball team in Texas., 276,000 acres 278,000 acres Theyve been ranching Oklahoma for over a century, but you may know Ree Dummond best, who joined the family when she married Lee Drummond. 24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. CNN founder Ted Turner owns 2 million acres of land largely in New Mexico, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Georgia. Ted Turner:2.0 million acres in New Mexico, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Georgia. The top 100 landowners of America, who collectively own about the same amount of acreage as the state of Connecticut. Kroenke is married to Ann Walkton Kroenke, an heiress to the Wal-Mart fortune. Bezos has also invested millions of dollars into the development of Spaceport America. 23:50 GMT 25 Nov 2019 25 had died from starvation. The familys Green Diamond Resource Company and Simpson Investment Company owns forests in California and Washington, all of which have an independent stamp of approval from the Forest Stewardship Council. Collins family:311,395 acres in Northern California and western Pennsylvania. Then there's the Killiams at No. The ranch recently received a conservation easement from the U.S. Department of Defense and New Mexico Land Conservancy. These private individuals and entities significantly impact the lands environment and culture. A recent deal to take Dole private makes Murdock the sole owner of 25,000 acres in Hawaii. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos owns 290,000 acres of land in New Mexico. The Hadley family, Anheuser-Busch heirs, own 260,000 acres, including the massive Diamond A Ranch, which makes up a substantial part of New Mexico's southwestern tip. Roughly equal to: Two-thirds the size of Yosemite National Park. No longer #10 with the acquisition of Montanas Broken O Ranch, an inspiring combination of irrigated farming and cattle land envisioned by paint mogul, Benjamin Moore.