Ted Turner (1938-2026), founder of CNN and a major Atlanta sports/media/business figure, died May 6 at age 87, leaving a conservation legacy tied to land protection, species restoration and environmental philanthropy.

Turner helped pioneer large-scale private land conservation in the United States, especially through the use of privately owned ranchland for habitat restoration, bison recovery, endangered species programs and conservation easements. His conservation work covered more than 3,000 square miles of ranchland and included habitat restoration, species recovery and sustainable ecotourism, according to the Associated Press.

In 1990, he founded the Turner Foundation, further supporting land conservation, air and water quality and climate protection. Its environmental work includes protecting wildlife habitat, restoring private and public lands and supporting a transition to cleaner energy sources that reduce climate-related pollution.

In 1997, Turner established the Turner Endangered Species Fund to help restore endangered and imperiled species on Turner ranches and in partnership with state and federal agencies. His family office says his broader conservation work preserved more than two million acres of land and helped protect and recover imperiled species, including wolves, black-footed ferrets, tortoises and other wildlife.