Land swap proposed for Big Mountain statue
A land swap has been proposed to defuse the controversy over a statue of Jesus Christ atop Big Mountain.
Congressman Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., is seeking public comment on draft legislation to exchange approximately 625 square feet of land between Whitefish Mountain Resort and the U.S. government.
The proposal calls for the secretary of agriculture to convey to the resort the land currently used for the World War II statue of Jesus. In exchange, the resort would provide the same amount of land to the federal government.
The swap effectively would circumvent the effort by a Wisconsin group, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, to remove the statue from Flathead National Forest land. The group objects to the presence of a religious icon on federal land.
The Flathead National Forest in August declined to renew a lease permit for a 25- by 25-foot parcel that the statue stands on, triggering a strong reaction from supporters who regard it as a historic landmark because it was installed by members of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division. It has since become regarded as a memorial to them.
Flathead National Forest Supervisor Chip Weber recently rescinded that decision, allowing for the lease request to be reviewed again, but the Freedom From Religion Foundation has persisted in its objections to the statue’s presence.
Flathead National Forest announced Monday that it is taking public comments on the statue issue until Dec. 8.
“Fortunately, the public outcry in Montana and around the country bought us some time,” Rehberg said in a news release issued Monday. He thanked the Forest Service for agreeing to delay the decision to forcibly remove the statue.
“I certainly hope the Forest Service will respect the wishes of just about everyone in the local community, but if they decide to fold to out-of-state lawyers, it’s important to have an ace in the hole,” Rehberg said. “That’s what this bill is about — it’s a common-sense solution that we can use if other avenues don’t work.”
Rehberg credited the idea for the land swap to a radio interview with John Hendricks at KGEZ in Kalispell. Hendricks suggested simply giving the land to the Knights of Columbus, who hold the permit to lease the land for the statue.
Rehberg talked with Whitefish Mountain Resort President Dan Graves, and they determined a simple land trade would be the best way to move forward.
Rehberg has posted his bill online for public comment prior to introduction, possibly as early as next week. Rehberg’s draft legislation can be viewed online at www.veteransjesus.com.
“We are honored to be able to help preserve this wonderful piece of history on Big Mountain at Whitefish Mountain Resort in honor of our veterans,” Graves said in the press release.
Flathead Forest encourages comments on the request to reauthorize for 10 years the special-use permit for the statue, if the land swap doesn’t take place.
Comments should be written and sent by email, mail or fax. Email comments may be sent to: comments-northern-flathead-tally-lake@fs.fed.us. Include “Knights of Columbus Special Use Permit Reauthorization Project” in the subject line.
Mailed and faxed comments should be addressed to Project Leader Derek Milner, Tally Lake Ranger District, 650 Wolfpack Way, Kalispell, MT 59901; the fax number is 758-5367. The office business hours for those submitting hand-delivered comments are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
“The Forest Service has determined and the Montana State Historic Preservation Office has concurred that the statue is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, based on its historic association with the early development of the Big Mountain ski area,” forest officials noted in a news release announcing the comment period.
Rehberg also is holding a rally for the Jesus statue on Thursday.
The public rally will be on Veterans Day at 1 p.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 276, 20 Baker Ave. in Whitefish.