The ZN Ranch lies to the west of Elk Mountain proper; where the sagebrush covered foothills meet the meandering meadows along Pass Creek. This picturesque landscape is home to a myriad of wildlife species. It is also home to the Williams Family. George and Susan Williams, and their son Chris and his wife Kate, manage the ZN’s cow-calf operation, as partners in the Tetrad Corporation.
 
Over the decades they have been ranching on the ZN, the Williams family has strived to enhance the landscape for the benefit of both cattle and wildlife. Their commitment to ensuring this land passes from one generation to the next, in better condition than when they themselves took on its stewardship, is an underlying theme in their management decisions for the ZN Ranch.George, now semi-retired, has always been interested in using different treatment techniques to enhance the productivity of the rangeland. Over the years, George conducted several prescribed burns, applied herbicides, and used sagebrush rollers to stimulate new vegetation growth. George is quick to point out that he didn’t always see the type of response he was seeking but it did not dampen his enthusiasm for trying new management techniques and building on what he had learned would work on the ranch. Chris now runs the day to day operations of the ZN, and he is carrying forward his father’s interest in improving range conditions on a grand scale.

The Williams family exhibits a high level of land stewardship and concern for wildlife and their habitat, making them more than deserving of the Laramie Region Landowner of the year.