GILBERTSVILLE, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — More than 450 acres in western Montgomery County is permanently protected from development, as Camp Laughing Waters is now under a conservation easement.
Camp Laughing Waters has been run by the Girl Scouts since the 1950s. Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania CEO Kim Fraites-Dow says the 458-acre camp was the largest privately owned, unpreserved property in Montgomery County, and its preservation was a priority for years.
“Girl Scouts is really focused on sustainability and environmental education,” she said, “and it's really important for us to steward the land properly and to lead our Girl Scouts with the eye on sustainability in western Montgomery County.”
Still, it was a challenge to balance the public access needed for public funding with the privacy of the campers, according to Kate Raman, project manager of Media-based nonprofit Natural Lands.
“The Girl Scouts are quite protective of the campers as they should be,” she said. “And public access to that trail component is very important to funders, including Montgomery County and DCNR, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.”
With help from Natural Lands, the Girl Scouts were able to work with Montgomery County and the DCNR, along with New Hanover and Upper Frederick townships. The conservation easement allows for a two-mile county trail along the southern boundary while maintaining the Girl Scouts camp.
“It provided the flexibility for the Girl Scouts to continue to operate the camp, but it opened it up for opportunities for this recreational public access development in a way that was safe,” said Todd Sampsell, vice president of conservation for Natural Lands.
“It encourages all people to get outdoors and be healthy,” said Fraites-Dow. “It's just a really great private-public partnership to do something great for the region. And we're all really, really excited.”
In addition to county, state, and local funds, the project also received financial support from the Virginia Cretella Mars Foundation and the Redekop Family Foundation at Everence.