Men of Vision
Men of vision and conscience are changing the fate of Central Montana.
By Tracy Watt, Nov./Dec. 2008
“So often times, people just come here to buy a chunk of habitat,” said Tom Stivers, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) Wildlife Biologist, Lewistown Area Resource Office.
That is exactly what happened a few years ago with 1,000 acres smack dab in the middle of the state – a piece of land that is surrounded by publicly-owned and publicly-accessible prime wildlife habitat.
Known as the “Moylan Property,” it was to become a privately-owned shooting preserve catering to sportsmen who would pay to stay and hunt the birds and beasts supported by the Central Montana ecosystem. But fate intervened. The out-of-state couple who had purchased the property found it … too wild, too vast, too remote … they wanted out.
When Tom Stivers got wind of the opportunity from Clive Rooney at the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), things fell quickly into place. Stivers believes it was “meant to be.” More precisely, men of vision and a sense of responsibility to future generations became involved.
Stivers contacted Craig Roberts and Wayne Frederickson, who are associated with Pheasants Forever (PF) chapters in Lewistown and Bozeman, respectively. Stivers said, “We had a very small window of opportunity, and PF stepped up and made things happen.”
The Moylan Property, located in Fergus County, approximately eight miles east of Denton, Mont., consists of 100 acres of Wolf Creek bottom and 900 acres of uplands, with five coulees that cross the uplands and drain west into Wolf Creek. There is also a 640-acre DNRC lease that transfers with it. The property connects over 6,500 acres of Beckman Wildlife Management Area (WMA), almost 2,500 acres of Montana DNRC lands and roughly 5,700 acres of private lands that are open to public access through Block Management or grazing agreements with MFWP.
PF’s Craig Roberts noted, “This particular piece of property may not have wide appeal as it stands today, but it is important that we look at both its intrinsic and potential enhanced value. As conservationists and groups dedicated to habitat preservation and improvement, we must keep a broad perspective. We need to form partnerships and not be so narrow-minded that an opportunity like this is overlooked.
“Working together, we can take advantage of what’s available while keeping in mind the big picture at a landscape level. What’s important is that we have a vision of what we’re going to have – that we have an end product in mind.”
The end product, in this case, is a total of 14,743 contiguous acres open to public access and unlimited walk-in hunting. The quality and quantity of recreational opportunities will greatly improve on all of the public lands in the area. In excess of 600 recreation days are expected to occur on the Moylan Property alone each year.
The acquisition also prevents subdivision and privatization of this area, insuring that the conifer timbered ridges on the Beckman WMA and the adjacent Block Management ranches will remain natural corridors to the riparian vegetation in the bottom of Wolf Creek, and the uplands in between. There will be additional opportunities to enhance wildlife habitat in order to better support mule deer, sharp-tailed grouse, pheasants, Hungarian partridge, Merriam’s turkeys and more.
Craig Roberts offered an off-hand explanation as to why he’s working so diligently to acquire and improve the land, saying, “We want to leave something for the next generation.”
In an effort to raise funds for the down payment on the property, MDF President and CEO Miles Moretti was contacted. Because of previous MDF involvement with the Beckman WMA adjacent to the Moylan Property, Moretti was familiar with the area and had a clear vision of the big picture. “Pheasants Forever is taking the lead on this project that will help block up several thousand acres for access and habitat protection. MDF has been asked to contribute $50,000 toward the project. We have already funded the first $25,000 out of National Funds, and I would like our Montana chapters to help raise the other $25,000.”
Moretti continued, “The folks in Montana are making new rules. They’re getting the land protected and implementing new management techniques. All of us working together – MDF, PF, MFWP and all the other partners – can put these pieces together and create a lasting legacy for generations to come.”
There are other men of vision who feel the same way. Frank Rhode retired to Montana and hunted in the Lewistown vicinity prior to his passing in 2003. He was a gun-dog man who owned and trained Britney Spaniels. Although he had no children of his own, Rhode often introduced friends’ and neighbors’ children to hunting and fishing. He was interested in teaching young adults an appreciation of the outdoors. In his will, Rhode left his estate to nephew Kevin Whelan. Besides making sure his two sisters were cared for, Rhode told his nephew he wished to help preserve the public lands and access which had made his retirement so wonderful.
When Whelan, who is a heart surgeon in Dallas, Tex., got the call in June 2008 from PF’s Frederickson about some prime habitat to be had in his uncle’s old stomping grounds, he threw $25,000 into the kitty from the Frank Rhode Estate, with the intention of making a similar donation in 2009. Whelan said he was happy to be able to make this contribution toward preserving our “American heritage.” He went on to say, “We don’t protect these very valued and precious areas as much as we should.”
Men of vision don’t always head up a conservation group nor have a pocket full of money. They are characterized, instead, by a selfless, humble, hard-working spirit. Les Carpenter of Plains, Mont., is another donor to the Moylan acquisition. “I am a school teacher so am not a rich man, but I have come to the conclusion that all of us sportsmen must pitch in monetarily or our hunting will all go over to the ‘pay to hunt’ philosophy.”
A current list of partners includes: Pheasants Forever chapters in Billings, Bozeman, Calgary, AB, Great Falls, Havre and Lewistown; Mule Deer Foundation; Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Foundation; The Cinnabar Foundation; Safari Club International, Bozeman; and several anonymous donors. Many other conservation groups, as well as Sportsman’s Warehouse, are also being approached.
In all, a down payment of $300,000 was raised in a matter of weeks, and the deal was solidified in just 70 days! Wayne Frederickson believes the whole transaction was divinely guided. He said, “So many things were lined up and just fell into place. I believe this was meant to be for the people of Montana.”
The Moylan Property is now defacto public land. It is the vision and sole intent of all the partners that this property becomes a preeminent public wildlife area for perpetuity.