Federated Farmers has paid tribute to John Aspinall, a former chair for the federation's high country section and a dedicated conservationist, who died on Friday after suffering a stroke last month.
Mr Aspinall, aged 60, was a third generation high country farmer on Mt Aspiring Station, in the South Island, farming sheep, beef cattle, deer and bees.
He was also a former National Board member.
Graham Reed, the federation's High Country chair, says Mr Aspinall was passionate about public walking access in the high country and in 2006 was named the supreme winner of the Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards, along with farming partner and wife, Sue.
Earlier this year he oversaw the completion of the Crown pastoral lease tenure review process for Mt Aspiring Station, in which 7500 hectares of land was put into the conservation estate.