Iowa DNR to purchase Camp Tahigwa

by Lissa Blake

The sale of Camp Tahigwa to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) should maintain the integrity of the Girl Scout camp property for years to come.

That is the message from the Board of Directors of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois (GSEIWI) and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF), who are working together on the recently-announced transaction. The GSEIWI Board recently voted to sell the camp property located near Dorchester to the DNR, with the stipulation that the land be permanently maintained as a natural space for public use.

The camp, established in 1967, consists of 315 acres, which has traditionally been used for Girl Scout activities and a variety of other special events. In 2013, the GSEIWI Council began discussing the sale of the camp, citing a reduction in usage. Shortly after, a group filed a petition seeking a court order to allow registered voting members of the Council to have a say on the issue of selling any camps by the Council. In early 2014, a Scott County ruling upheld the Girl Scout Council’s right to sell its camps, including Tahigwa.

A WIN-WIN
Shelly Wells-Cain, GSEIWI vice president of development and marketing, said she hopes the transaction will take place within the next four or five months. Wells-Cain said Girl Scout programming will continue through the first part of June. After that, the DNR will assess what facilities at the camp “work for them” and proceed accordingly.

“Whatever the facility is, I would anticipate it would be open for public use. Girl Scouts will still have access, as well as the rest of the public. It will open it up even more,” said Wells-Cain. “It’s a win-win. We think it will end up to be a great situation.”

A COMMON GOAL
Joe McGovern, president of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, said he has been working with the Girl Scouts on this transaction for over a year. The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization which partners with entities like the DNR on property acquisition.

“We are trying to help our partners, including the Girl Scouts, to protect the land. Whatever role we can play in that partnership is important to us,” said McGovern.

McGovern said there are many details still to be worked out. “Ultimately, we both have a goal of seeing the land protected as much as we can and still allowing for public use,” said McGovern.

McGovern added his organization understands Camp Tahigwa is a special place to a lot of people. “We all recognize that and we’re trying to protect it as best we can,” he said.

McGovern added he believes multiple DNR bureaus will likely work together to maintain the property, including fisheries, wildlife and parks. He said a key priority will be protecting the three quarters of a mile of trout stream that flows through the camp.

“I can tell you we’re doing everything we can to make it work for as many people as we can,” said McGovern.

He said while the camp will no longer be run in exactly the same way, he is confident the Girl Scouts and INHF/DNR have the same goals: “To preserve the integrity of the property’s natural resources… We will have to see what that looks like. There are still a lot of details that just haven’t been figured out yet,” he concluded.