The anticipated sale of the historic Camp Barton to the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is nearing its final stages.
This deal, initiated in January, will transfer approximately 100 acres of the iconic Boy Scout camp, which includes a pristine slice of Cayuga Lake shoreline, to state ownership.
The Finger Lakes Times reports that once completed, the transaction will instigate a licensing agreement enabling the Three Falls Local Development Corporation (LDC)—with representatives from Covert, Ulysses, and Trumansburg—to oversee the land for public recreation.
The undisclosed sale price, speculated to be just over $5 million, is part of the Baden-Powell Boy Scout Council’s effort to contribute to a substantial national settlement for historical sexual abuse allegations within the Boy Scouts of America.
Camp Barton, established in 1924, has been a part of the Boy Scout tradition for nearly a century. The sale comes after a smaller portion, approximately 40 acres, was sold to the Maguire family in mid-2022, which will not be included in the new public park development.
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