David and Diana Cook, owners of DC Cattle Co. LLC near Globe, Ariz., have been selected as winners of Region VI, which includes five southwestern states and Hawaii. They were nominated by the Tonto National Forest District of the United States Forest Service (USFS).

The headquarters of the ranch borders the Tonto National Forest at the base of the Pinal Mountains near Globe. DC Cattle Co. provides cattle, hay and reclamation services to a variety of customers. Their core business is the management of the Phelps Dodge Miami Inc. (PDMI) Diamante Ranch. The Diamante Ranch is a cow-calf operation comprising three USFS allotments, a Bureau of Land Management allotment and private land parcels, totaling 34,970 acres. Resource management has been one of the key successes of the Diamante Ranch.

“We believe that forage is the most important natural, renewable resource in cattle production,” David says, “and with the proper management, the land can produce even more forage, increasing density and diversity, resulting in higher cattle stocking rates and more wildlife habitat than it would have without grazing.”

DC Cattle Co. makes cattle rotation decisions based on recorded utilization levels, rather than on pasture move dates, allowing them to better monitor range conditions throughout the year. While wildlife is one of the Cooks’ major concerns, David has worked to ensure that there is always a sufficient watering system available for the various wildlife habitats, even when cattle are rotated from pasture to pasture.

DC Cattle Co. also has 40 acres located east of Perry, Okla., that were purchased to institute a pilot program to determine the financial viability of placing stocker cattle on native pasture. In addition to the stocker calves, David has been able to generate income from deer hunting and the sale of firewood from this land as well.

“The rancher was the original steward of the land,” David says, “and when it comes to protecting our natural resources, they are just as important today, if not more.”