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09/06/2022 11:03 AMAfter months of discussions and a public campaign to save Deer Lake, the property will be sold for $4.75 million to nonprofit Pathfinders, Inc.
Pathfinders announced the deal between the Boy Scouts’ Connecticut Yankee Council and the non-profit on Sept. 1. Pathfinders representatives said they will be able to cover the cost and permanently preserve the 255-acre parcel that has been described by environmentalists as one of the most critically important parcels of undeveloped land in southern Connecticut.
Pathfinders had run camping programs at Deer Lake for more than 30 years under a lease arrangement with the Boy Scouts. President of Pathfinders Ted Langevin said that the deal should be officially signed and completed on Thursday, Sept.15. Langevin was cautious in his remarks stating that until the deal is signed, Pathfinders is not the owner, but also said that he did not expect any impediments and was looking forward to the date when the deal will be done.
“We did sign the contract, but we haven’t actually gotten the property yet, but we are optimistic now,” said Langevin. “Basically, we have signed an agreement to purchase and we are looking forward to closing on the 15th of September. We have put a lot of time in, so we are hopeful but we still have to get to the closing and finish that up before we can truly celebrate. This is really the first step in the process in truly saving the property.”
Langevin said that there are still several more steps needed to ensure that Deer Lake will remain undeveloped in perpetuity.
“Until it has a conservation easement on it, it is not really protected. And our focus in the coming months will be in mapping out a plan to retire the debt we have, which is substantial, and then we’d be able to afford entering into a conservation easement with land trust folks and the like,” Langevin said.
Killingworth First Selectwoman, Nancy Gorski, said she was extremely pleased to hear news of the agreement and said she and her office would endeavor to assist Pathfinders in their continuing efforts.
“My congratulations to Ted (Langevin) and the Pathfinders organization in coming to an agreement with the Yankee Council. It is a win for the campers, the conservationists, and the residents of Killingworth,” Gorski said. “I look forward to supporting them in any way I can in finalizing the deal.”
Earlier this year, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong began a “review” into the matter after several potential conflicts of interest issues arose. The main one being the fact that after the Yankee Council rejected an offer from an area land trust, a Council board member put in a bid for the property at a price that was well above the appraised value, raising concerns that the parcel was fated to be developed.
Tong’s office issued a statement following the announcement of the pending sale.
“Deer Lake is a beautiful, undeveloped property, where generations of Connecticut children have spent memorable and impactful summers. I am pleased that all parties were able to work together to find a way to preserve this Connecticut gem. Over the past few months, I have heard from former campers, community leaders and advocates who all shared a strong desire to preserve Deer Lake. I thank the Boy Scouts and Pathfinders for taking the time to reach this positive resolution,” said Tong.
Langevin said that the plan is to open the parcel up to the public. Camping by scouts and other groups will continue to be available and the parcel will also be open to hikers, recreationists and also for events and public gatherings.
“The camp will be open to the public. We will have a reservation system in place as soon as we get things organized. And I think that it will be open to scout groups, other youth groups, corporations for retreats and various functions, weddings, the whole business. We plan to do that right away,” Langevin said. “And if you’re a hiker all you’ll have to do is check in with the ranger’s office and use the property. We had such a great group of people working on this, who were incredibly committed and not willing to give up on it.”