Interest
In 2020, the Fish and Wildlife Commission approved FWP’s proposal to explore buying the Allen property. When the announcement was publicized, buyers came out of the woodwork.
“We got calls from out-of-staters wanting to buy the land,” Aasved said.
Hunters also called Shodair seeking access to the property.
“We weren’t prepared for that,” Aasved said. “It just happened so fast that we weren’t ready.”
Especially important to Shodair was ensuring the current grazing lessee be allowed to continue until the agreement expires in 2031. Aasved said the hospital is also sensitive to the concerns of adjoining landowners, who voiced worries about a sale to FWP.
Donation
The appraised value is $8.22 million, thanks to the jump in the state’s real estate prices over the past few years. Two years ago, the same land was valued at $6.4 million.
At this sale price, it would be the largest donation to Shodair in the six years Aasved has been with the hospital. The money will be important as the hospital started construction of a $10 million medical office building for genetic services and an outpatient clinic. This is in addition to a new $66 million hospital under construction and expected to be finished by the end of 2022.
“It’s going to help with those two projects for sure,” Aasved said. “We just reached our goal of $14 million for our capital campaign.”
FWP would finance the land purchase mainly with federal Pittman Robertson Wildlife Restoration funds (75%). The other 25% would come from the state’s Habitat Montana fund, which is subsidized by nonresident hunting license sales.
“It’s a great piece of property,” said Aasved, who grew up in Lewistown, just over the top of the Big Snowy Mountains from the Allen land. “It’s everyone’s dream. I would love to have owned it.”
As a hunter himself, Aasved noted it has become more difficult for the public to find access to big game. Elk are notorious for moving off any property where there is hunting and onto adjacent landowners’ acreage to seek refuge, sometimes where hunting is not allowed.
This conundrum has frustrated landowners, hunters and FWP for years. Seeking a solution has not been easy and often enters the political arena.
Comment
Through April 25, FWP is taking public comments on the proposal to purchase the Shodair land. The Montana Chapter of the Backcountry Hunters & Anglers’ 3,000 members gave the acquisition “enthusiastic support,” adding that the “benefits are enormous,” according to a letter to FWP posted on the group’s website.
As a wildlife management area, if FWP were to acquire the Shodair property it would be closed to public recreation each year from Dec. 1 through May 15 so wildlife could use the property for winter range habitat. Motorized use would be restricted to designated roads and parking areas.
Dispersed camping would be allowed unless posted otherwise. Camping would be limited to 16 days in any 30-day period. Public use would be limited to walk-in or horseback access from the two designated parking areas.
Prior to the 2 p.m. deadline on April 25, FWP will take comments mailed to: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks ATTN: Big Snowy Mountains WMA Acquisition, 2300 Lake Elmo Dr. Billings, MT 59105. Or emailed to fwpregion5pc@mt.gov. Use the subject line, “Big Snowy Mountains WMA Acquisition.”
Following the comment period, the issue will go to the Fish and Wildlife Commission for approval. If the land buy gets their stamp of approval it would go on to the State Land Board for an OK.
Benefactors
Louis Shodair died of a heart attack after a long illness in 1940 at the age of 78. The Helena Independent Record announced his passing with the headline: “Louis Shodair, Philanthropist, Called by Death.” Although born in Columbia, South Carolina, and dying in Los Angeles, California, Shodair was buried in Helena.
Forrest Allen lived to 97, a resident of Cody, Wyoming, when he died. His brother, Irwin Allen, ran the ranch at the base of the Big Snowy Mountains until he died before his brother at age 95.
“He saw many changes throughout his lifetime, and it meant a lot to him to be able to preserve relics of days long past for future generations,” Irwin’s obituary said in reference to artifacts of the homesteading era that he supplied to the Upper Musselshell Museum in Harlowton.
Allen’s contribution of land has the opportunity to benefit the public. Like Louis Shodair’s gift of land, the Allen property would also assist the children’s hospital growth. One donation came when the hospital was just being formed and the other when it is being reborn.
“This has been a great gift,” Aasved said.