Tim Mason's challenge is not unfamiliar to many who must follow in the footsteps of relatives who have achieved greatness. His grandfather, George Mason, left a legacy of philanthropy that is the stuff of legend. Furthermore, the elder Mason demonstrated a spirit of conservation that was decades ahead of its time when his estate donated 3000 acres to the state of Michigan in 1955. This gift is now under siege by an unscrupulous plan to extract oil and natural gas from it. It is young Mason's task to lead the defense of this land that his Grandfather wished to forever remain an unspoiled piece of wilderness.
A Life Of Charity And Prescience. George W. Mason, mid-century industrialist and President of the Nash-Kelvinator car company, believed in helping other people and rarely missed a chance to aid the needy. He funded the college educations of several young people who came from families, blue-collar workers mostly, that could not otherwise afford to send them to school. During holidays he took food and gifts to the less fortunate.
His extraordinary charity was complimented by a sense of vision. George Mason was an avid outdoorsman, and fished the Au Sable river in the 1930s and 40s. An early advocate of fly fishing and a "flies only" approach to trout fishing, Mason helped lay the groundwork for the formulation of Trout Unlimited. It was in part through his suggestion that George Griffith convened the seminal meeting of TU in 1959.
He had purchased the land that would later be known as the Mason Tract from the Durant family, famous for once building a "castle" near the banks of the South Branch. (The edifice was destroyed almost as soon as it was built.) Mason decided on his death to deed the land to the state and allow it to return to its natural condition; no more building would ever be allowed within its boundaries. Three years after his death, the U.S. Forest Service added over 1300 acres to the tract. In 1960, an open-air church, called the Mason Chapel, was completed to honor the gift of George Mason. It is the only structure left standing in the Reserve.
"I don't know if vision is genetic," Tim Mason said. "My grandfather had to know the potential wealth creation of the land he donated to the state of Michigan, but he understood the greater good of preserving it untouched in perpetuity for all to use and enjoy. I'm not sure I could have seen that far into the future."
A Sylvan Dream. The Mason Tract, located about 12 miles east of Grayling off M 72, is one of the last patches of wilderness left in the Lower Peninsula. It is home to every animal from mink to black bear. Kirkland warblers nest in stands of young jack pines. Humming birds whirl about through colorful swaths of wildflowers. Eagles circle over the streambed. Coyotes howl at sundown. Trout snap at the wrinkled waters of the South Branch, which traverses the tract, as they feed on a multitude of insects. It is a paradise for canoers because of its quiet, gentle flow and the beauty around every bend. Hikers enjoy a rustic trail that runs along the river. The Reserve is even more prominent among fly anglers because of its world class trout fishing. Few rivers anywhere in north America have the range and depth of insect hatches. As a result, the cool, dark waters that pass through the Mason Tract are home to large brown trout and some of the best brook trout fishing on the planet. Tens of thousands of people have enjoyed the Mason Tract for three generations.
A Threat From The Flank. Although George Mason made it clear that the land was never to be touched or exploited in any way, a recent proposal by a Traverse City based oil and natural gas drilling company, Savoy Energy, outlines a plan to extract oil and natural gas from underneath the tract. In a maneuver straight out of a World War II tank battle, the plan is to establish a wellhead adjacent to the tract - on U.S. Forest Service land - and drill underneath it on a slant. The well would go about a half mile into the Mason Tract and to a depth of 10,000 feet. After the well is established, a production facility will be built nearby to refine and temporarily store the oil and gas. Because of the remoteness of the well, roads will have to widened and a generator be brought in to power the facilities. To add insult to potential injury, the proposed well is a half mile from the Mason Chapel. The potential for damage to the surrounding area is grave.
A Grandson To The Rescue. Tim Mason never knew his famous Grandfather, who died four years before he was born. He had only the stories of his deeds as told by his Father, Jack, and Uncle George. While he concedes that visionary thinking may not be passed on in the same manner as eye color, there are other beliefs that have been handed down. The Mason Family has maintained the philosophy of the Grandfather. The land that bears their name was for all who love nature to enjoy and should remain pristine for the ages. For nearly 50 years this tenant had been honored, and then came Savoy.
"When I first heard the news I didn't believe it was true," Mason said. "That's not what my grandfather intended. Then I found out the whole story. Drilling underneath the Mason Tract from an outside platform is really splitting hairs. The land was never to be monetized in any way at all."
In recent years, Mason's job at Motorola - he is a Director of a Global Business Development team and has moved his family of four seven times in the last 15 years - had prevented him from getting up to the area. The position of the Mason Family was that Michigan had done a fine job managing the land. Now there was a real problem. A Family representative had to get involved. Mason had to clear his busy schedule in order to make a DNR Public Hearing in Grayling last month.
His speech at the Hearing touched upon his Grandfather's wishes for the land, and told one of the many stories of his stream-side encounters. George Mason was well known for his interactions with individuals who fished the river running through his land. In this instance, he had come upon a young man who was technically trespassing, but, after a lengthy discussion of fly fishing which concluded with the man offering to leave, Mason insisted he stay and enjoy the evening hatch. Apparently, George Sr. was so impressed with the young man's fly tying abilities that he purchased flies from him for many years afterwards. Mason was never at odds with allowing others to enjoy that which was his by right.
After touching upon possible solutions, including swapping mineral rights and outright repurchase, the Grandson, in an emotional voice, closed with the following words:
"We ask that you, as my Grandfather did, put aside the monetary value and work towards a solution that creates value for generations in ways that can hardly be measured. It will take vision, tough decisions and hard work. It can be done. It was done over fifty years ago in the mind of one man. It's the right thing to do."
The speech was met with an enthusiastic standing ovation, with the exception of a half dozen individuals, Savoy executives, who remained mute and sitting during the applause. It has since been adapted as a rallying cry by those who oppose the drilling.
For his part, Mason has become energized and committed. An avid sportsmen himself - he enjoys hunting, fishing, and motor cycling - he understands the love so many have for his Grandfather's gift. The road to an alternate solution to the proposed drilling will not be easy, but he sees precedent in similar past situations.
"It is time for the State to step up and take care of it," he said. "They have done well in the past, but this is a serious threat. Our family will assist in any recommendations and directives necessary to see this whole thing through to its proper finish."
Those who are interested in supporting a ban on drilling near the Mason Tract should contact Anglers of the Au Sable at www.ausableanglers.org or 989.348.8462.
Published in the Autumn, 2003 edition of Michigan Streamside Journal
