Dorrance man gives land to wildlife group
Published on -1/20/2009, 12:48 PM
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By MIKE CORN
DORRANCE -- A former Hays physician has struck a deal to transfer nearly 1,700 acres of land to a wildlife group upon his death.
Wallace Weber's contribution to Pheasants Forever would be the group's largest donation ever. Weber's donation is in concert with his sister, Cheryl Weber.
The block of land, known as Dubuque Land and Cattle, is located in southeast Russell County.
As a physician, he founded Heartland Dermatology Center in Hays, from which he retired in 2005. He spent 31 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a colonel. Weber also teaches a class that allows graduates to carry a concealed weapon.
The land includes Weber's "home place," where he was born in 1943. He has since added to the property, all of it in a contiguous block.
Now 65, Weber said he has been thinking about what will happen to the land after his death.
He didn't want the land to be sold and split up, so he started looking around for other options, and in 2007 asked for proposals from universities, such as Fort Hays State University and Kansas State University.
What he found, however, wasn't encouraging.
Universities generally told him that 1,700 acres of land wasn't enough to remain self-sustaining, generating enough cash flow to pay the bills.
"I didn't want to donate this for it to be sold," Weber said.
At about that time, he saw information about land in Nebraska being donated to Pheasants Forever.
That prompted a series of conversations between the wildlife group and Weber, and ultimately the agreement to start the process of transferring land.
The first half-section of ground was transferred in December. Any land not deeded over to PF will be transferred upon Weber's death.
The only catch is the land must stay together and not be sold.
What Pheasants Forever does with the land will be part of discussions by Weber and the outdoors group.
"What they do in the long term I can't control from the grave, and don't want to," Weber said.
That's not to say he can't hope it will be used as something of a reward of sorts, such as for youth hunting.
"This will be an ongoing thing between myself and Pheasants Forever," he said.
Currently, the land is open for hunting but is strictly controlled and generally on a fee basis.
It is good to hear a story that actually reflects commitment to a way of life and the desire to teach a new generation about sporting, guns, safety and heritage.
(Posted by: syd)
: 1/21/2009
If the birds didn't have a value they would never be hatched out. They are not birds that would have been there anyway.
(Posted by: joe)
Let the birdies live!: 1/20/2009
Excellent idea, except for the youth hunting. How about a sanitary for pheasants "AND" turkeys, we don't need to kill everything, every where's you know!
(Posted by: Dennis)
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