Celebrating 135 Years of Cowboy Essence Pioneering the Path Forward
THROUGH OUR EFFORTS OF LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING, Babbitt Ranches, a family business and pioneering land company, raises livestock, manages natural resources, promotes science and participates in the broader community in order to join, share and do the very best we know how.
Pioneering the Path Forward
The decisions we make today are on behalf of our children, our grandchildren and their children. And that is our motivation as we forge ahead with meaningful new business, environmental and community opportunities. Billy Cordasco
President and General Manager
Bright Future AT BABBITT RANCHES, we are passionate about character, nature and community. The values and principles that have shaped the family business since 1886 will continue to guide us as we pioneer the path forward with a fresh focus on: Agriculture Landscape-Scale Conservation Renewable Energy Dark Sky Protection Scientific Discovery Golden Eagle Conservation An Outdoor Recreation Ethic Attitude Succession and Sustainability Our success will continue to be reflected in the strength of our relationships. We believe relationships are all there is. We call our commitment to ourselves, to the environment, to the future and to each other Cowboy Essence.
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Generating Renewable Energy for the Next Generation Our aim is conservation and sustainability. Our future includes the facilitation of clean, renewable energy production.
Solar and Wind Power Working with some of the largest and most reputable renewable energy companies in the world, Babbitt Ranches is passionate about helping America become less reliant on fossil fuels and solve its energy challenges sustainably through the Babbitts’ Arizona Power Company. With lease agreements on the CO Bar and Espee ranches, solar and wind power companies will be able to harness clean and abundant energy during the day and make it possible for communities to use artificial light responsibly at night in their own way through their sense of conservation and stewardship. Collaborations with NextEra Energy, Clenera, Pattern Energy, RWE Renewables and Navajo Power bring Babbitt Ranches’ conservation efforts full circle – day and night – fitting with the company’s landuse ethic while allowing the economic means to maintain ranchlands as open space, benefit grassland species and protect the integrity of the landscape. It is our intention that through these renewable energy endeavors and ongoing discussions with state and federal wildlife agencies, Babbitt Ranches will be able to create a National Golden Eagle Conservation and Discovery Center.
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Today’s Agriculture
Carrying the brand of the legendary Hashknife outfit, the Babbitt Ranches horse program has been honored with the American Quarter Horse Association Remuda of the Year Award.
Hereford Cattle, Hashknife Horses Across the high-desert grasslands of northern Arizona, more than 7,500 head of Hereford cattle bearing the CO Bar and Cataract brands graze across the 750,000-acre ranch. Calling on the same time-honored skills valued here 135 years ago, Babbitt Ranches cowboys ride, rope and brand, and engage in long-held traditions like the Spring and Fall Works. Hundreds of spectators and serious bidders gather at Spider Web Camp on the second Saturday of July each year to watch the cowboys in action as they bring the spirited new colts and mares across the wide-open ranchland for the Babbitt Ranches Annual Colt Sale. Babbitt horses have a worldwide reputation for being solid all-around ranch horses with cow sense that can work all day and maneuver across rough, rocky terrain. Cowboys say they have speed, looks, ability, a good disposition and are often winners in the rodeo arena – from local high school competitions to world championships. They are said to be tough enough for the working cowboy, yet gentle enough for young cowboys and cowgirls.
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Our Commitment to Conservation and Land Stewardship Babbitt Ranches created one of the largest conservation easements in the country to remain as open space in perpetuity.
Landscape-Scale Conservation Cataract Canyon is a glorious sight from sunrise to sunset with its steep amber walls and ancient rock layers. Though few may visit this rugged and remote canyon, there is great comfort in knowing Babbitt Ranches has set aside this land, along with miles of high desert grassland, to protect Arizona’s open spaces and wildlands through the creation of a conservation easement totaling more than 40,000 acres. In addition, Babbitt Ranches has identified 12,000 acres on Espee Ranch for prairie dog research; created a 640-acre conservation easement with Coconino County at Cedar Ranch Springs; and, protected nearly 80,000 acres for the Antelope Prairie Ecological Research Area. Conservation plans across the ranches focus on grassland plants and animals, including the endangered Fickeisen plains cactus, American pronghorn, Gunnison’s prairie dog, ferruginous hawk and golden eagle.
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Babbitt Ranches International Dark Sky Reserve Some of the darkest, starriest places in northern Arizona are on Babbitt Ranches and we intend to keep them that way.
Starry Nights We’re looking for long-term trends and how the sky is changing with growth. Measurements from nearly pristine areas like Babbitt
Arizona’s exceptional dark skies are a precious and unique resource that deserves conservation and stewardship. At a time when most Americans living in urban settings cannot see the Milky Way because of sky glow, or light pollution from urban centers, Babbitt Ranches appreciates the value of the dark, star-filled sky.
Ranches and from locations with well-controlled lighting like Flagstaff contribute a lot to the understanding of light pollution and natural variations. Chris Luginbuhl Astronomer IDA Member
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Dark skies are woven into the identity of the region. They have long been an important part of our way of life, providing a sense of place and fostering curiosity, cross-cultural understanding, exploration, creativity, critical thinking and appreciation for science and the environment. They also are important for wildlife and human health, scientific exploration and education. For these reasons, Babbitt Ranches is working with the International Dark-Skies Association and seeking International Dark Sky Reserve status. Ideally situated among globally recognized dark-sky places, Babbitt Ranches is bordered by Flagstaff, the First International Dark Sky City and International Dark Sky Parks such as Grand Canyon National Park and Flagstaff Area National Monuments, with Sunset Crater Volcano, Walnut Canyon and Wupatki.
An Enduring Land Stewardship Program Through the Landsward Foundation, Babbitt Ranches works with a great many scientists and research institutions to promote wide and varied projects that focus on wildlife habitat; forest, grassland and riparian restoration; our changing climate; cultural site preservation; and space exploration.
Science Discovery Babbitt Ranches hosts and supports bold efforts to restore populations of what was once North America’s most endangered species, the black-footed ferret, on Espee Ranch. Grassland restoration projects have been implemented across more than 40,000 acres. Pinyon and juniper trees encroaching into historic grasslands have been removed and mulched. Climate change and the adaptability of species like ponderosa pines and cottonwood trees are part of ongoing studies through Northern Arizona University’s Southwest Environmental Garden Array (SEGA) on Babbitt Ranches. Projects to remove invasive non-native tamarisk and restore a 16-mile stretch of the Little Colorado River are underway with the support of nonprofit conservation organizations. Archaeological inventory assessments with extensive wall stabilization and 3D documentation at Tsopki (Antelope House) Pueblo, a prehistoric two-story, five-bedroom dwelling with a kiva, have been completed. Astronauts, engineers and scientists from NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Los Alamos National Laboratory visit Babbitt Ranches to train for space missions, test Mars rovers and study minerals in an effort to learn more about the universe.
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SP Crater Golden Eagle Conservation Complex Babbitt Ranches strives to boost golden eagle populations and advance our knowledge of the species.
Helping Eagles Soar Through the Landsward Foundation, Babbitt Ranches along with the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the Arizona State Land Department has created the SP Crater Golden Eagle Conservation Complex to protect the area around known nest sites and support national efforts to increase the number of golden eagles in the Southwest. With the use of radio telemetry, game cameras and extensive monitoring studies, Babbitt Ranches has learned much about these huge raptors, along with the health of their prey base, which includes grassland species such as prairie dogs, squirrels, jackrabbits and cottontails. Through ongoing discussions with state and federal wildlife organizations and agencies, Babbitt Ranches strives to create a National Golden Eagle Conservation and Discovery Center for research and education.
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Promoting an Outdoor Recreation Ethic Attitude
We envision a future in which an Outdoor Recreation Ethic Attitude is demonstrated through behaviors and actions of all those engaging in recreational activities with a self-imposed focus on awareness, responsibility, obligation and accountability.
Healthy Lifestyles Offering cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the snowy winter months, and camping in yurts and rustic cabins year-round, Babbitt Ranches acquired Arizona Nordic Village to encourage healthy lifestyles and pursue opportunities to support outdoor recreation. For more than 25 years, the land company has been involved in the development and creation of the Arizona National Scenic Trail. With more than 19 miles of the Babbitt Ranch Passage, which parallels the historic Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Stagecoach Route, Babbitt Ranches is the only private landowner with segments crossing its ranchland. As a mecca for distance running and mountain biking, Flagstaff’s warm weather seasons attract elite athletes seeking northern Arizona’s expansive wildlands and challenging and diverse terrain. Babbitt Ranches hosts races in the volcanic field north of the San Francisco Peaks and from Arizona Nordic Village. It also is the lead sponsor in the Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Stagecoach Line 100-Mile foot and mountain bike race, a unique ultra event that traverses a multitude of ecosystems, from alpine meadows to high desert grasslands. Babbitt Ranches land also is available to hunters and sportsmen. Through its Fair Chase initiative, the company promotes a broader sense of individual awareness and responsibility regarding land use and activities. Babbitt Ranches encourages all to gain an appreciation and a better understanding of our place in the community.
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Babbitt Brothers Foundation
The Babbitt Brothers Foundation members are part of a large and diverse community who embrace the responsibility and obligation to join, share and become active participants in our communities.
Building Community Established in 1980 by the Babbitt Brothers Trading Company, the Babbitt Brothers Foundation was created to embrace the past and participate with organizations to build community. In the early years of the ranching operation, Babbitt family contributions were directed toward supporting local hospitals and clinics. The philanthropic mission later expanded to provide Northern Arizona University scholarships to students from communities where the Babbitts operated trading posts and general stores. Today, the Foundation is funded through income derived from leases and vacation rentals in the historic Babbitt Building. Through the LifeScapes program, the Babbitt Brothers Foundation fosters a genuine consideration for others by joining with local organizations to promote health, education, science, the arts and historic preservation, and encourage healthy lifestyles, healthy families and healthy communities. The Foundation is a lead sponsor of the annual Viola Awards, a signature Flagstaff event that honors excellence in arts and science, named in honor of arts patron Viola Babbitt.
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Cowboy Essence
Cowboy Essence is about being at our best when our best is what’s needed. And our best is what’s needed now.
Honoring Our Past, Planning for the Future As a fourth-generation Arizona Babbitt, along with the Babbitt family and Ranch Council, we are extremely grateful for the accomplishments Babbitt Ranches has been able to achieve in the last 135 years and very excited about the meaningful opportunities ahead that fit with our conservation and land stewardship values. We are most thankful for the diverse people of the extended Babbitt Ranches Community, how we support and encourage each other’s passions and contribute to the success of the region.
Billy Cordasco President and General Manager
Character, nature and community have been bred into the North American generations of Babbitt family members since 1639, when 12-year-old Edward Bobet clambered aboard a sea-going vessel from England to the New World. The same adventurous spirit rose up in five young grocery store clerks from Cincinnati, Ohio, inspired by the words, “Go West, Young Babbitt,” which propelled their dream of becoming ranchers. All along, faith and willingness have helped these individuals become the boldest of gamblers, modest and moral citizens, careful stewards of resources, and leaders in public service and education. The common thread is a commitment to Cowboy Essence, the demonstration of character qualities such as ambition, integrity, confidence, enthusiasm and cooperation, having a relationship with the seasons, and the ability to persevere through challenges while expressing gratitude in times of abundance. In all we do, Babbitt Ranches promotes Cowboy Essence, a Code of the West of sorts, with ourselves and with others, which creates that peace of mind and self-satisfaction that comes from knowing we are doing our best to become the best we are capable of becoming. To find out more and keep up on Babbitt Ranches activities, events and programs, tune in to “Discovery with Babbitt Ranches,” a podcast produced in the Hashknife Studio in downtown Flagstaff.
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THE CONSTITUTION OF BABBITT RANCHES Character, Nature and Community have been bred into Babbitt Ranches since 1886. The values that make the people of Babbitt Ranches who they are and the characteristics that have shaped the organization into a lasting legacy are hereby captured and articulated in The Constitution of Babbitt Ranches.
Article I Philosophy and Multiple Bottom Line Section 1. Through our efforts of learning and underweare arebetter betterable able to join, standing, we to join, shareshare and anda be part of theRanches’ Babbitt Ranches’ orgabe parta of Babbitt organizational, nizational, ecological, economical and decicomecological, economic and community munity decisions. sions, with thoughtful consideration for the next generation.
Article II Conversation Council Creed
Section 3. Friendship Mutual esteem, respect and devotion are the ingredients of an enduring friendship. Like marriage, it must not be taken for granted but requires a joint effort.
Section 4. Cooperation Listen if you want to be heard. Be interested in finding the best way, not in having your own way.
Section 5. Loyalty Be devoted to yourself and to all those who depend on you. Keep your self-respect.
Section 6. Self-control Practice self-discipline and keep emotions under control. Good judgment and common sense are essential.
Article IV Cowboy Essence Character Qualities Section 1. Ambition The desire to achieve noble goals.
Section 2. Sincerity The genuine earnestness that binds friendship.
Section 3. Adaptability The ability to adjust to any situation.
Section 4. Honesty
Human conversation is the most ancient and easiest way to cultivate the condition for personal, organizational and community change. –– Margaret J. Wheatley
Section 7. Alertness Observe constantly. Stay open-minded. Be eager to learn and improve.
Section 5. Resourcefulness
Section 1.
Section 8. Initiative
Using our wits, proper judgment and common sense to solve problems.
We commit to learn, to understand, to appreciate and to trust one another while letting go of the need to be right and to leave the past in the past.
Section 2. We commit to listen with detachment and to speak honestly.
Section 3. We have the courage to risk change and to make appropriate decisions.
Section 4. We are interested in each other, and we will think and reflect on our decisions, appreciating that it may be messy at times.
Section 5. Our character will be demonstrated through our patience, kindness, humility, respectfulness, selflessness, forgiveness, honesty and resilience.
Section 6. We acknowledge that it is not our differences that may divide us, it is our judgments about each other that do.
Article III
Cultivate the ability to make decisions and think alone. Do not be afraid of failure, but learn from it.
Section 9. Intentness Set realistic goals. Concentrate on achievement by resisting temptations. Be determined and persistent.
Section 10. Conditioning All aspects of our lives must be developed: mental; spiritual; and, physical. Rest, exercise and diet must be considered and moderation must be practiced.
Section 11. Skill
Section 12. Ranch Spirit A genuine consideration for others fosters an eagerness to sacrifice personal interests and glory for the betterment of others. It is not about I but We.
Section 6. Reliability The consistency and trustworthiness that create respect.
Section 7. Fight The determined effort to do the very best we can do.
Section 8. Integrity Purity of intention.
Section 9. Patience Section 10. Faith
Cowboy Essence
Section 1. Industriousness There is no substitute for work. Worthwhile results come from hard work and careful planning.
Section 2. Enthusiasm Enjoyment for what you are doing motivates those with whom you come into contact.
Poise Be at ease with yourself in any situation.
Section 14. Confidence Demonstrate respect without fear. Being prepared and keeping all things in proper perspective creates self-assuredness.
Section 15. Competitive Greatness Be at your best when your best is needed. Enjoy a difficult challenge.
Section 3. The land ethic then reflects the existence of an ecological conscience, and this in turn reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the health of the land. Health is the capacity of the land for self-renewal. Conservation is our effort to understand and preserve this capacity.
Section 5. A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.
Article VI Sustainable Community Principles If we could first know where we are and whither we are tending, we could better judge what to do and how to do it. –– Abraham Lincoln
Babbitt Ranches is a community that:
Section 1. Defines sustainability as living off interest, not principal;
Section 2. Appreciates that growth occurs within some limits and is ultimately limited by the carrying capacity of the environment;
Section 3. Minimizes harm to the natural environment;
Section 4. Values diversity;
Section 11. Gratitude
Respects other forms of life and supports biodiversity;
The art of being grateful for all things.
Section 5. Section 6. Has defined values amongst the members of the community;
Article V A Land Ethic An ethical obligation on the part of the private landowner is the only visible remedy for these situations. –– Aldo Leopold
Section 1. Whatever may be the equation for people and land, it is improbable that we as yet know all its terms. The answer, if there is any, seems to be in a land ethic, or some other force which assigns more obligation to the private landowner.
Section 12. Does not compromise the sustainability of future generations by its activities.
Section 7. Employs Multiple Bottom Line DecisionMaking, which integrates organizational, ecological, economical and community values into all decision-making processes in a thorough, open and flexible manner;
Section 8. Makes the best use of local efforts and resources, and nurtures solutions at the local level;
Section 10. Fosters activities that use materials in continuous cycles;
Section 6. Develop communication processes.
Article IX Priceless Values Human Dimension and Science That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics. –– Aldo Leopold
Section 1. Ensure that Babbitt Ranch land and natural resources are managed in accordance with Babbitt Ranch values.
Section 2. Coordinate policy and activities with regard to the management of the Babbitt Ranch natural resources.
Section 3. Provide processes for the resolution of resource management issues and conflicts.
Section 4. Communicate activities to other agencies and landowners with whom Babbitt Ranches has relationships, and to the owners of Babbitt Ranches.
Section 5. Participate in the discussion, planning and development of quality regional plans.
Article VIII Equity Model Fundamentals Family Business is a business in which business and relationships have a significant impact on each other. There is a deep sensitivity and understanding of the fact that decisions are often a compromise between family and business. –– Edwin A. Hoover
Section 1. Evaluate ownership facts.
Section 2. Understand the current business description.
Section 9. Uses renewable and reliable sources of energy;
Section 5. Practice liquidity concepts.
Article VII
Section 4. It is inconceivable to us that an ethical relation to the land can exist without love and a high regard for its value. By value, we of course mean something far broader than mere economic value; we mean value in the philosophical sense.
The belief that things will turn out as they should.
Section 13. Cowboy Essence is peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming. –– inspired by John Wooden
Section 11. Does not compromise the sustainability of other communities;
Doing the things we know are right.
The ability to wait and calmly persevere.
Be prepared with knowledge and the ability to properly and quickly execute the fundamentals. Cover every little detail.
Section 2. A land ethic changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow members, and also respect for the community as such.
With yourself, with family and friends, with the community and with the environment, one way or another and in the end, relationships are all there is. –– Bill Cordasco
Section 1. Organization Babbitt Ranches, founded in 1886, is rich in history and strengthened through relationships. For as many as six generations, owners, employees and their families have shared in this history and have forged a deep commitment to the health of the land and the organization.
Section 2. Ecology Across the high desert landscape of northern Arizona, Babbitt Ranches promotes and respects regional continuity, wildlife habitat, diverse vegetation, watersheds, historic sites, cultural resources and access for recreationists and scientists. Ethics are the standards we employ to determine our actions.
Section 3. Economy Babbitt Ranches demonstrates a deep sense of responsibility to the people and communities of the region through more than a century of operation and community participation. The economic well being of the region cannot be separated from the well being of the environment.
Section 4. Community Babbitt Ranches is part of a large and diverse community of land owners, communities and organizations who have a responsibility and obligation to the broad regional perspective. It is within this context of community that relationships are formed and quality regional planning can begin.
Article X Constitution Commitment Section 1. We do the very best we know how, the very best we can; and, we mean to keep on doing so until the end.
Section 2. If the end brings us out all right, then what is said against us won’t matter.
Section 3.
Section 3.
Consider the range of future business values.
If the end brings us out wrong, then ten angels swearing we were right would make no difference. –– Abraham Lincoln
Section 4. Explore future investment values.
Hereunto set forth this twenty-fourth day of January in the year two thousand and eight the owners and employees of Babbitt Ranches, as witnessed by long-time friends and business associates, hereby proclaim this, The Constitution of Babbitt Ranches, the official document adopting the character and values by which the organization was established and shall operate.
Arizonasaurus babbitti
PO Box 520
Flagstaff, AZ 86002
928-774-6199
BabbittRanches.com