BAILEYS HARBOR - The Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes and Door County Land Trust have reached an agreement that would see the land trust preserve the property of one of the Scouts' longtime campgrounds on the Peninsula while allowing the Scouts to continue using it.
Now, the land trust just needs the money to make it happen.
The Scouts agreed to sell their Camp Cuesta in Baileys Harbor to the land trust. The 24-acre camp, which the organization has owned and operated for nearly 50 years, is adjacent to the trust’s 281-acre Kangaroo Lake Nature Preserve and has been a destination for local scouts to work on environmental stewardship and outdoor skills.
Once the sale is finalized, the land trust will protect and maintain stewardship of the property, as it does for the more than 9,400 acres and 15 featured nature preserves already under its care in Door County. The two sides are working on a usage agreement to keep Camp Cuesta open and accessible to the Girl Scouts.
“We have mixed emotions about selling Camp Cuesta, but we are excited about the future with the Door County Land Trust,” Patti Shafto-Carlson, CEO of Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, said in a press release. “Their commitment to preserving and maintaining the property aligns perfectly with our vision and values. This partnership ensures that Camp Cuesta will be a place where Girl Scouts and others can connect with nature, have meaningful outdoor experiences and create lasting memories.”
Emily Wood, executive director of the land trust, said the trust became interested in the campground when the Scouts announced about a year and a half ago they were looking to sell a number of properties, Camp Cuesta among them, as part of a long-term plan.
Speaking to the Advocate, Wood said the trust was interested because the camp abuts its Kangaroo Lake Preserve, and especially because it's a property rich in environmental and wildlife features. She noted the Niagara Escarpment runs through it – "Cuesta" is Spanish for a ridge or hill with a slope on one side, like the escarpment – there's a mix of open spaces and hardwood forest, and it's a habitat for bald eagles, osprey, waterfowl, migratory birds, various mammals and the rare Hine's emerald dragonfly, one of the most endangered dragonfly species in North America.
"It was really just kind of a slam dunk for us as far as (interest in) the property was concerned," Wood said.
Wood noted the property also stands alone from other land trust properties because it has amenities – specifically, the buildings the Girls Scouts use when camping. The site has what's called the troop house, which has restrooms and a kitchenette, and a screened pavilion that offers some protection from insects for evening and nighttime activities.
Taking the long view, Wood said the trust plans to apply for a Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources that would allow the property to remain open and free to the public for hiking, exploring and other nature activities. The scouting organization would let the trust know when it wanted to reserve the property for its activities.
Short-term is the need to raise the funds to actually buy the property.
The land trust needs to raise $420,000 through community donations, hopefully by the end of September, to complete the purchase. It has launched a fundraiser on its website, and one supporter already started a matching gift challenge, matching the first $50,000 in donations dollar-for-dollar through Sept. 30. All who donate during the challenge receive a land protection merit badge, and those who donate $100 or more have the option of receiving a Camp Cuesta tote bag or T-shirt.
"I'm really optimistic that a community who's expressed so much love for the property will step forward to protect it," Wood said about the fundraising effort.
To donate to the fundraiser, visit doorcountylandtrust.org/campcuesta. The trust's website also has an article with stories from some of the former scouts who camped there. For more on the Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, visit gsnwgl.org.
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@gannett.com.
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