Montana Land Reliance - Passion and Commitment

Byron Donics made a name for himself as one of the leaders in the fragrance industry. Now the former president of Estee Lauder is the owner of a Montana ranch, and he is reinventing himself as a cattleman.

Asked about the connection between the world of perfume and the world of cattle, Byron says, with the hint of a smile: “They’re both olfactive.”

But Byron’s approach to his new venture is anything but casual.

“He’s absolutely serious about this,” says MLR’s Mary Hanson, who worked with Byron on his conservation easement. “I’ve known a lot of people who think they can run a ranch, but I’ve never seen anyone as determined as this man.”

Byron’s property lies in the shadow of the Beartooth Range, near Roscoe. It consists of rich grazing land, well-watered bottomland along Volney Creek, and a good amount of tillable acreage where he hopes to grow alfalfa. Over the last several months, Byron has been learning everything he can about the cattle industry. Mary Hanson, with four generations of Montana ranching know-how under her belt, has been delighted to share her knowledge.

“I knew as soon as I met Byron that he wanted to do this right,” she says. “He’s conservation-minded, so he wants to take care of the land. He’s a successful businessman, so he wants to create something economically viable and self-sustaining. And he has an obvious respect for tradition, so he’s eager to learn from his more experienced neighbors.”

“I may not know a lot about this business yet,” says Byron, “but I’d like to think I at least know what I don’t know. A lot of people have trouble setting their egos aside, and identifying their areas of weakness. But if you don’t,” he says, “you never truly learn.”

The first decision Byron made when he bought the ranch was to put the land under conservation easement. After much research and consultation, he says, he chose the Montana Land Reliance.

“I spoke with a lot of people,” he says, “and the Land Reliance kept coming up. Above all, what appealed to me about the organization is their philosophy that agriculture goes hand in hand with preserving scenic values and wildlife habitat. That’s a philosophy I have always shared and feel strongly about.”

Byron is aware that there are still critics of conservation easements, but he never wavered in his decision. “There are those for whom the bottom line is everything. There are those who think an easement is tantamount to taking a valuable asset off the table. But we all make decisions in life, and this is one I feel very good about.”

“To me,” says Mary, “a conservation easement on agricultural land is a powerful statement. It’s a statement about a commitment to preserve land while at the same time keeping it productive. And when you do that, you’re giving a gift to both present and future generations.”

“Legacy is an interesting concept,” says Byron. “Of course, the word relates to immediate heirs and family members. But there’s a deeper level as well. I think we all have obligations to those who will come after us. I think we all have a responsibility to leave things better than we found them. And I would like to think that helping to preserve this beautiful corner of a beautiful state is a small step in that direction.”