Black Hills National Forest Supervisor Craig Bobzien is suspending plans to demolish decaying buildings at the old Meeker Ranch near Custer pending discussions with artist Jon Crane and others who want to save the place.

Bobzien said Thursday that he plans to meet with Crane sometime in April, after the artist and his wife, Gail, return from a winter on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. The Cranes are driving to Mexico now in a four-wheel-drive mobile home.

"I called him (Crane) and told him I'd sure be willing to sit down and talk about what opportunities he saw," Bobzien said. "I assured him that I wouldn't plan on doing anything further with the buildings until we had a chance to sit down and talk."

Bobzien and other Black Hills National Forest officials had planned to demolish all but the original cabin at the ranch, located about four miles northeast of Custer. A house built later and other decrepit buildings on the ranch site, as well as a cistern, pose hazards for the public, Bobzien said.

But Crane believes the buildings can and should be saved. He hopes to paint a series of watercolors of the place and dedicate a percentage of sales to its preservation. Crane said Thursday by cell phone from New Mexico that he was encouraged by Bobzien's decision.

Crane wants to clear up some confusion about the wishes of the last private owner of the Meeker Ranch, Ina Davis. Davis sold the 278-acre ranch to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, which then sold it to the U.S. Forest Service.

Forest service spokesman Frank Carroll said earlier this week that Davis wanted the land to return to a natural state. Crane said he wouldn't go against that wish if it meant Davis intended for the buildings other than the original cabin not to be restored and maintained.

So far, there's no clear indication that's what she intended, Crane said. But he's still contacting people who knew Davis to find out.

"The only issue we have to resolve is Ina Davis' wishes," Crane said. "If we can get that squared away, I think we're home free. Then, we have to turn around and start raising money."

Bobzien said he is willing to talk about that but would like to expand the discussion to include other historic structures on U.S. Forest Service property. Those include the old Williams Ranch near Pringle and a mining mill northwest of Hill City, he said.

The buildings at the Williams Ranch qualify for the National Register of Historic Places. Only the original cabin on the Meeker Ranch qualified for the register, and the forest service already plans to preserve that.

"I'd like to broaden it," Bobzien said of the Meeker Ranch discussion. "I think the public has an interest in knowing the whole picture. Before you jump on the first item in the toy store, get a grasp of all the possibilities out there that might have some historical or era significance, and what seems to be the best investment and why."

The forest service doesn't have a budget for preserving places like the Meeker Ranch. But if Crane and others are interested in finding or providing a funding source, there might be possibilities to preserve buildings at some of the sites, Bobzien said.

"We basically need a private party who would be interested in a partnership," he said. "If we have someone willing to step in, I'm sure going to sit and listen."

Crane believes there will be wide support for the preservation effort. Pennington County Commissioner Gale Holbrook joined the cause Thursday, saying he and Commission Chairman Jim Kjerstad would bring a resolution supporting preservation of the Meeker Ranch before the full commission.

The resolution would not have any legal effect but would simply show support, Holbrook said. Crane said he appreciates the help.

"My whole goal here is to save these places before it's too late," he said.

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com