The 2014 Land Report 100: America's Largest Landowners Making Even Bigger Investments

The Land Report releases 2014 Land Report 100 presented by Fay Ranches; Malone and Turner still largest, but Reed Family jumps to No. 5 with purchase of 600,000-acre JELD-WEN Oregon estate.

News provided by

The Land Report

Oct 15, 2014, 10:00 ET

DALLAS, Oct. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing the trend of investing in some of America's most iconic viewsheds and working landscapes, The Land Report released the 2014 Land Report 100 presented by Fay Ranches highlighting the major investments and even bigger personalities of America's largest landowners. In all, private holdings increased by nearly 500,000 acres over the last year.

2014 Land Report 100: America's Largest Landowners Go BIG

Among the major movers is nationally known homebuilder D.R. Horton, founder and chairman of DR Horton Inc. (DHI), which acquired New Mexico's 457-square-mile Great Western Ranch. This transaction landed Horton at No. 32 on this year's list. Horton purchased the 292,779-acre Great Western from Denver investor Patrick Broe. But don't worry about Broe. Thanks to holdings in Colorado and Wyoming, he stayed on the list and is at No. 76.

And that wasn't even the biggest sale. The Reed family, owners of Green Diamond Resource Company, acquired 600,000 acres of Oregon timberland from the estate of Richard Wendt, founder of JELD-WEN Windows & Doors. The purchase upped the Reeds from No. 10 in 2013 to No. 5 in 2014. This swath of rural Oregon is almost the same size as Rhode Island and is the largest land transaction in the U.S. since Liberty Media Chairman John Malone acquired more than 1 million acres of timberland in Maine and New Hampshire in 2011. That buy put Malone atop The Land Report 100, where he remains in 2014 with 2.2 million acres. His good friend and fellow cable entrepreneur Ted Turner is No. 2 with more than 2 million acres. Rounding out the top five are California's Emmerson family with 1.86 million acres, Kentucky billionaire Brad Kelley with 1.5 million acres, and the Seattle-based Reeds with 1.37 million acres.

The cover story dives into the intricacies of one of the largest ranches in the U.S., the 535,000-acre Waggoner Ranch that spreads across six North Texas counties. For over 150 years, the Waggoner family has stewarded this historic property, which was recently listed for sale for $725 million. The ranch runs thousands of cattle, breeds champion Quarter Horses, has oil and gas production and more – all attributes of this "super asset class."

"It goes without saying that our conservation and agricultural heritage is being preserved through the vast majority of thoughtful individuals who make up this year's Land Report 100," said Broker Greg Fay, founder of Fay Ranches, which is sponsoring the Land Report 100 for the fourth straight year and is a longtime supporter of the magazine. "We continue to be amazed by these leading landowners for their efforts to conserve our nation's land, which best embodies our natural heritage."

"America's leading landowners are a diverse group with each pursuing different interests and goals on their respective properties," said Eric O'Keefe, editor of The Land Report. "I'm captivated by the stories we chronicle, especially when they focus on a commitment to steward these matchless holdings."

About The Land Report
Founded in 2007, The Land Report is an award-winning quarterly magazine focused on America's greatest resource – the land. Its readership includes landowners, land brokers, investors, outdoor enthusiasts and anyone who cares for and about the land. For more information or to review the Winter 2014 issue of The Land Report, visit www.LandReport.com. To download the 2014 Land Report 100 presented by Fay Ranches, click here. To read the issue online, click here: http://landreport.epubxp.com/i/397957

About Fay Ranches
Fay Ranches (FayRanches.com) provides the highest quality ranch and sporting real estate brokerage services in the country and represents the finest ranches for sale in the American West. Its commitment to investment value, sporting pursuits, family and conservation has guided over 20 years of growth and success and served as the basis for the relationships it builds and the quality of the business it executes.