![]() ![]() “The acquisition of the property provides a critical link in connecting federal and state lands and in creating a larger mosaic of contiguous, protected lands in the region,” said Kristy Boscheinen, NPS project manager and environmental compliance officer for the park. We were committed to finding a conservation solution and are pleased that through the addition of this essential large parcel to the Delaware Water Gap, our partner, the National Park Service, will be able to provide contiguous access to an exceptionally beautiful part of Pennsylvania, and that this land will be preserved for future generations.” “After a multi-year study and thoughtful decision-making process and analysis, our council made the difficult decision to divest of this property. Kim Fraites-Dow, chief executive officer of GSEP, expressed her organization’s satisfaction with the outcome. “We’re honored to help facilitate the permanent protection of this land with GSEP, Natural Lands, and the National Park Service so that the legacy of this special place can live on into the future.”Īdditional funding was provided by the Open Space Institute’s Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund, capitalized by the William Penn Foundation, and its Resilient Landscapes Fund, which receives funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation as well as from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR) through the Bureau of Recreation and Conservation’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program. “The memories we make in the outdoors learning, exploring and building friendships are some of the most poignant and lasting,” said Kyle Shenk, Pennsylvania state director with The Conservation Fund. The mitigation fund is administered by The Conservation Fund in partnership with the National Park Service. This conservation effort was made possible with funding from the Middle Delaware Mitigation Fund, established in 2012 by PPL and PSEG as compensatory mitigation for impacts resulting from the upgrades to the Susquehanna-Roseland transmission line. Since 1996, Natural Lands has helped preserve nearly 8,500 acres of current and former Girl and Boy Scout Camps in the region. “Natural Lands applauds GSEP for finding a conservation solution for Camp Hidden Falls, and we’re so glad to have helped make it possible.” These vivid experiences-like sinking your toes into the mud at the bottom of a swimming pond, learning to build a campfire, or finding the constellations on a starry night-can catalyze a life-long love of the natural world,” said Molly Morrison, president of Natural Lands and Girl Scout alum. “For generations, Girl and Boy Scouting has been a way for kids to experience nature in a deeply personal way. The property is an important acquisition that will help make a future connection between the 70,000-acre Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and 20,000 acres of Delaware State Forest. The bulk of the property is wooded, offering essential habitat for a myriad of raptors and songbirds. The breathtakingly beautiful former camp land includes more than two miles of pristine streams, eight “hidden” waterfalls, and 15 acres of wetlands teeming with wildlife. The Conservation Fund purchased the property in May 2017 and transferred it to the National Park Service on April 23. To ensure the property would be preserved, GSEP turned to the conservation community including Natural Lands and Delaware Highlands Conservancy.Īfter five years of complex negotiations, during which time Natural Lands was able to find a conservation buyer and secure grant funds to pay for the purchase, all the pieces came together. In 2012, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) made the difficult decision to close Camp Hidden Falls located in the Pocono Mountains, the result of efforts to consolidate camp operations across the region and improve facilities at their remaining sites.
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