Judson McDonald Parsons (1935–2026) peacefully passed away on May 3, 2026. Jud was like no other, and all of us at SOLC will be eternally inspired by his love of working lands and wildlife. We hold five conservation easements on farms, forests, vernal pool-mounded prairie, and meadows in Jackson County covering 660 acres that Jud and his family wanted to be protected from overdevelopment forever. He also worked with the American Farmland Trust, The Nature Conservancy, and Pacific Forest Trust to conserve more working lands in Oregon including conservation easements in the Zumwalt Prairie.
Jud received SOLC's Conservation Award in 2013. SOLC and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife staff nominated Judd in 2019 for the Private Landowner Stewardship Award of the Oregon Chapter of the Wildlife Society, which he was awarded. Jud was instrumental in the development of the Southern Oregon Wildland Fire Managers training program, and worked with Oregon Wildlife Foundation to locate the planned Mariposa wildlife overcrossing across Interstate 5 near the California border.
Kristi Mergenthaler, SOLC stewardship director shared: “My most favorite memories at work include spending time with Jud during annual monitoring visits on his conserved lands. I can see us now, standing together year after year in one beautiful spot after another, looking out in the distance as Jud wove one story after another about wildlife, the local history, and his family, rich tales rooted in specific places. I will always be grateful for the time I spent with him and his lifelong dedication to caring for the land.”
Kathy Tucker, Jud’s niece, wrote the following: "As a young man, Jud moved to Oregon to help manage the farm established by his grandparents, Hillcrest Orchard in Medford. Additionally, he spent many years caring for thousands of acres of forest land in the Siskiyous and Howard Prairie. He served on state and environmental boards dedicated to conservation, historic preservation, and Oregon’s Century Farm and Ranch program. He also quietly supported many environmental and social causes and organizations throughout his life.
Jud was happiest outdoors, working in the woods he knew so well. His family will remember his calm and steady nature and his deep sense of responsibility toward the land and the people he loved. But they will also remember his fondness for cookies and his habit of laughing so hard at his own stories that he was nearly unable to finish them. His legacy endures in the forests and landscapes he helped protect, and in the many people who learned from his thoughtful and deeply rooted example of stewardship".
