RISE AND SHINE! Ted Turner and Dixie at the ready prior to a morning in the field at Florida’s Avalon Plantation.

No. 2 Ted Turner

2,000,000 acres
In late 2016, the Magazine of the American Landowner recognized Turner’s lifelong commitment to conservation by honoring him with its Legacy Landowner award. His dedication to conservation is a lifelong phenomenon that dates back to his earliest days and has remained a continuous touchstone. According to longtime friend Tom Brokaw, “[Ted] cares about land organically. He knows the birds on the wing. He knows the flowers. He knows the grass. When he turned 75, somebody sent me a description of what he was like when he was a kid. He was a great birder. He was a taxidermist. So when I hunt with him, he’s very attentive to the process. He wants to make sure he gets it right.”
Click here to see the 2017 class of America’s largest landowners.