My favorite memories growing up in North Carolina were hunting and fishing with my father and brothers. There, I developed a deep appreciation for protecting land and waterways. There, I learned outdoorsmanship.

My mother brought me numerous times to visit Orton as a child, and I have visited the gardens with my children many times. Orton is a gem on the Cape Fear River and I am excited about our restoration efforts to bring it back to its original landscape.

I am proud to place Tercio Red River into a conservation easement forever protecting this spectacular landscape with Colorado Open Lands.

We are too quickly losing important landscapes in this country to development - and I worry that if we do not act to protect them now, future generations will grow up in a profoundly different world.

The ability to manage large assets well - it's like being Michael Jordan or winning the gold in the Olympics; it's what you aspire to.

It is a wonderful honor to receive the Audubon Medal from the National Audubon Society, which for more than a century has fought tirelessly to protect and preserve our natural resources and environment for future generations.

When a profit-seeking company proposes to take citizens' private land away for its own gain, people should stand up for their rights.