Ted Turner Amassed 2 Million Acres for Wildlife Restoration and Bison Herds

Ted Turner owned roughly 2 million acres across the United States, making him one of the largest private landowners in America. He spent decades restoring the land, viewing his properties as restoration projects rather than status symbols or hunting grounds. His goal was to keep these places as natural as possible.

Turner limited pesticides, rebuilt native habitats and removed invasive species. He planted more than a million longleaf pines across the South. "Historically we cut them all down, and they are a critical part of the environment in this part of the world," he said.

He helped restore populations of red-cockaded woodpeckers, native trout species, prairie dogs, Mexican gray wolves and Bolson tortoises. Turner also owned the world's largest private bison herd, around 45,000 animals spread across multiple ranches. He saw bison as critical to restoring Great Plains ecology because they graze differently than cattle and help regenerate grassland ecosystems.

Turner's approach to conservation was active. He believed humans had an obligation to repair damage already done rather than just lock land away. At a time when public lands face threats from development, shrinking budgets and political battles, Turner put his money into hands-on restoration.

Some of his properties became "vacations with purpose," where tourism revenue funded conservation and kept large areas intact. This countered habitat fragmentation from ranches turning into subdivisions and forests into strip malls.

Turner once said, "If you’re working to help others or make the world better, you’ll be a lot happier than if all you’re doing is trying to make things better for yourself."

For all he accomplished in 87 years, including launching CNN and transforming the Atlanta Braves, his land restoration efforts may prove his most enduring legacy.