Smith Honored by Society for Range Management with W.R. Chapline Award

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA — Marguerite “Meg” Brack Smith, owner and operator of Fleecer Mountain Cattle Company, received the W.R. Chapline Land Stewardship Award at the Society for Range Management’s 79th Annual Meeting in Monterey, California earlier this year.

The W.R. Chapline Land Stewardship Award gives special recognition to members of the Society for exceptional accomplishments and contributions in the application of the art and science of range management. It recognizes landowners, land managers, administrators, and counselors who demonstrate outstanding leadership in the stewardship of rangeland resources.

In Montana, it is often said that you cannot talk about range management without mentioning Meg Smith. Throughout her career, Smith has been central to promoting sound rangeland stewardship from a rancher’s perspective, carrying that message across Montana and throughout the western United States.

Through her work at Fleecer Mountain Cattle Company and her extensive outreach, Smith has built collaborative efforts that bring together ranchers, neighbors, policymakers, and land managers to learn from one another and strengthen stewardship across working landscapes. Her efforts have helped educate everyone from local ranchers and legislators to visiting interns and rangeland professionals from across the country and abroad.

Smith is also recognized for her leadership in addressing the human side of agriculture. She has developed a deep understanding of the mental health challenges facing rural families and has intentionally woven those conversations into range tours, workshops, and educational events. Smith often reminds audiences that stewardship discussions around grazing, fencing, or water management mean little if the families managing the land are struggling. As she frequently says, “It is always a people thing.”

A respected voice for rangelands across the West, Smith is known as a rancher who not only advocates for stewardship but demonstrates it daily through her work and leadership.

For her lifelong dedication to the stewardship of both rangelands and rural communities, the Society for Range Management is proud to recognize Marguerite “Meg” Brack Smith with the W.R. Chapline Land Stewardship Award.