In July 2014, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC), the Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay (GSCB) Council, and Maryland DNR worked together to protect 170 acres of the Camp Grove Point Girl Scout Camp in Cecil County through a permanent conservation easement. In 2022, the GSCB council made the difficult decision to sell Camp Grove Point. GSCB approached ESLC for help, wanting to sell to someone who would preserve the entire camp.
ESLC formally purchased the camp last month and will assist DNR in its restoration of the property to a more natural state. Ultimately, ESLC will transfer the camp to DNR as an addition to Grove Farm Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Grove Farm WMA is managed by the Wildlife and Heritage Service, whose mission is to “conserve and enhance diverse wildlife populations and associated habitats while providing for public enjoyment of the State’s wildlife resources through hunting and other wildlife-dependent recreation.”
Once transferred to DNR, ESLC will continue to steward the property’s permanent conservation easement. “That was so instrumental for us—to be able to share our Camp Grove Point with someone who would take care of it and preserve the camp as green space in perpetuity,” said GSCB CEO Claudia Peña Porretti. “That’s why we made this decision to sell to Eastern Shore Land Conservancy because we knew that you all would love the property just as much as we do. It’s a win-win. We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.”
The annexation of Grove Point to the Grove Farm WMA is yet another preservation success for greater Grove Neck. Approximately 5,953 acres of the 6,158-acre peninsula are currently protected, including 1,716 acres conserved by ESLC. Camp Grove Point is connected to the larger conservation area by the 242-acre Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity property purchased by ESLC and subsequently transferred to the State as an addition to the Grove Farm WMA in 2021. “Thanks to ESLC’s close relationship with the Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake, we were well poised to assist their leadership in finding a conservation minded solution for the sale of Camp Grove Neck,” commented ESLC’s Director of Land Conservation David Satterfield. “We are excited to have worked with the Girl Scouts and DNR to ensure that many generations can enjoy the natural beauty of this spectacular property.”
ESLC President and CEO Steve Kline added, “Increasing and improving public access is a priority for Eastern Shore Land Conservancy across our region. Grove Neck is a great opportunity to work with key partners like Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources and the Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake to bring hundreds of additional acres to the public, to enjoy hiking, hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching.”
Originally called Double Goose Farm, Camp Grove Point was purchased in 1948 and opened to campers the following year. Since then, the camp has served not only thousands of Girl Scouts, visitors, and volunteers, but thousands of native flora and fauna throughout its freshwater wetlands, woodlands, and beaches. One hundred-foot vegetative buffer strips on the property protect the water quality of the Sassafras River and the Chesapeake Bay. Open meadows and 85 acres of upland forest full of sassafras and beech trees provide habitat for numerous migratory bird species. The camp also protects 2,500 feet of scenic waterfront including rare sand and clay cliff beaches home to federally endangered Puritan tiger beetles, whose declining populations exist only along the Connecticut River Valley and the Chesapeake Bay.
Established in 1990, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy’s mission is to conserve, steward, and advocate for the unique rural landscape of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, forever a special place of diverse and abundant natural resources and thriving rural communities.