American Stewards of Liberty is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that advocates for private property rights. ¹ The group supports de-listing species that no longer warrant coverage from the federal endangered species list and resolving conflicts between federal and local agencies through coordination.

American Stewards of Liberty was established in 2009 through the merger of the American Land Foundation and Stewards of the Range. ²

Activities

American Stewards of Liberty works to de-list species that do not warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act. ASL claims that the federal endangered species list contains too many species that are not in danger of extinction and is based on limited data and unsound science. ASL further claims that the Fish and Wildlife Service insufficiently reviews and de-lists species when appropriate, creating unnecessary restrictions on land use. ³ American Stewards of Liberty aims to prevent further economic harm to landowners by filing formal delisting petitions and taking action in court when necessary. ⁴

The American Stewards of Liberty advocates for the use of coordination, which requires federal agencies to resolve policy conflicts with state and local agencies, in order to reach consistency and ensure effective governance. ASL claims, however, that many federal agencies fail to initiate the coordination process, leaving it to local governments to challenge federal overreach and resolve conflicts with the agencies involved. ⁵ In 2020, ASL published The Policy Coordination Guide for Local Governments, its updated guide for implementing coordination. The Guide includes an analysis of federal coordination, instructions for organizing and carrying out policy coordination, and guidance for writing effective policies. ⁶

Funding

The American Stewards of Liberty is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While ASL does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from Donors Capital Fund ($50,000 in 2018) ⁷ and the Armstrong Foundation ($2,500 in 2012). ⁸

Prior to the establishment of the American Stewards of Liberty, the American Land Foundation received funding from the Armstrong Foundation ⁹ and the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation (now the Noble Research Institute). ¹⁰ Stewards of the Range received funding from Donors Capital Fund. ¹¹

People

Leadership

Dan Byfield is the CEO of American Stewards of Liberty and the former president of the American Land Foundation. Byfields works as an agricultural lobbyist for the Texas Farm Bureau and the Farm Credit Bank of Texas. ¹²

Margaret Byfield is the executive director of American Stewards of Liberty and the founder of Stewards of the Range. ¹³

Fred Kelly Grant is a co-founder of the Americans Coordination Institute, former president of both American Stewards of Liberty and Stewards of the Range, and a senior fellow at the Goldwater Institute. ¹⁴

Board of Directors

Mike Dail is the chair of the board of American Stewards of Liberty and former chair of ALF. Dail is a former broker for the Federal Farm Credit System. ¹⁵

Carolyn Carey is the vice chair of the board and serves on the boards of the RANGE Conservation Foundation, the California Beef Council, and California Rangeland Trust. ¹⁶

Porter Martin is the treasurer of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation. ¹⁷

Phillip Martin is the former vice chair of Alabama Ag Credit, former president of American Dairy Association of Alabama, and formerly served on the board of the Alabama Farmers Federation. ¹⁸

1. “Home.” American Stewards of Liberty, 2015. Accessed January 11, 2022. https://americanstewards.us/.
2. “About.” American Stewards of Liberty, 2015. Accessed January 11, 2022. https://americanstewards.us/about/.
3. “Home.” American Stewards of Liberty, 2015. Accessed January 11, 2022. https://americanstewards.us/.
4. “Delisting.” American Stewards of Liberty, 2015. Accessed January 11, 2022. https://americanstewards.us/delisting/.
5. “Coordination.” American Stewards of Liberty, 2015. Accessed January 11, 2022. https://americanstewards.us/coordination/.
6. “New Coordination Guide Released.” American Stewards of Liberty, November 20, 2020. Accessed January 17, 2022. https://americanstewards.us/new-coordination-guide-released/.
7. Donors Capital Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2018, Schedule I, Part II.
8. The Armstrong Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2012, Part XV, Line 3a.
9. The Armstrong Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2011, Part XV, Line 3a.
10. The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc., Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2000, Part XV, Line 3a.
11. Donors Capital Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2014, Schedule I, Part II.
12. “Dan Byfield, CEO.” American Stewards of Liberty, 2015. Accessed January 11, 2022. https://americanstewards.us/about/directors/dan-byfield-ceo/.
13. “Margaret Byfield, Executive Director.” American Stewards of Liberty, 2015. Accessed January 11, 2022. https://americanstewards.us/about/directors/margaret-byfield-executive-director/.
14. “Fred Kelly Grant.” Americans Coordination Institute, 2022. Accessed January 16, 2022. https://coordinationinst.org/fred-kelly-grant/. 
15. “Mike Dail, Chairman.” American Stewards of Liberty, 2015. Accessed January 11, 2022. https://americanstewards.us/about/directors/mike-dail-chairman/.
16. “Carolyn Carey, Vice Chairman.” American Stewards of Liberty, 2015. Accessed January 11, 2022. https://americanstewards.us/about/directors/carolyn-carey-vice-chairman/.
17. “Porter J. Martin, Director.” American Stewards of Liberty, 2015. Accessed January 11, 2022. https://americanstewards.us/about/directors/porter-j-martin-director/.
18. “Phillip Martin, Director.” American Stewards of Liberty, 2015. Accessed January 11, 2022. https://americanstewards.us/about/directors/phillip-martin-director/.