Boy Scouts Sign Agreement to Purchase Fayette County Property
Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 ; 02:18 PM | View Comments | Post
The group says it will be submitting an application to the Fayette County Commission to rezone the property near Glen Jean to be a "high-adventure center."
By ANNETTE SORAH
For The State Journal
FAYETTEVILLE, WV — Thousands of Boy Scouts from across the nation may soon be heading to southern West Virginia each year.
Boy Scouts of America recently announced that it has signed an agreement to purchase 10,000 acres in the New River Gorge area of Fayette County for a high-adventure base. The organization is submitting an application to the Fayette County Commission for rezoning in connection with the purchase, according to Jack Furst, Boy Scout volunteer and chairman of the project.
The boys' organization entered into a sales and purchase agreement after forming a nonprofit corporation — ARROW WV — to hold the title to the "high-adventure" property."
Property near Glen Jean and Mount Hope, known as the Garden Ground Mountain site, will be purchased from Meadow Creek Coal Corp.
In its application, ARROW WV is asking to rezone the area which would allow it to pursue the high-adventure center.
If the rezoning request is approved, ARROW WV will strive to see the property meets the 100-year plan the Boy Scouts of America has for the "National Scouting Center, the new high-adventure facility, and other potential activities."
Once that phase is complete, it will close on the property "sometime this fall."
As for the site, it would be open the entire summer, offering Boy Scouts a high adventure experience which would emphasize whitewater rafting, he said.
The New River Gorge in Fayette County is being considered as a site for a national Boy Scout jamboree the Boy Scouts of America hosts every four years. It is one of 80 potential sites in 28 different states under consideration. The Boy Scouts also are striving to develop another site in Goshen, Va.
Both sites make up 10,000 acres of land.
The national jamboree is a gathering for Boy Scouts to engage in exhibits and obstacle courses — as well as other activities — in pursuit of "cultural exchange and fellowship exchange for a 10-day period," Furst explained. It attracts 40,000 to 42,000 boy scouts from across the nation, in addition to about 8,000 adults
The jamboree attracts a "myriad of guests," including the president "at some point," he added, noting the site can see 10,000 to 20,000 people on one day.
The reason for the new site?
As Furst explained, three existing sites in New Mexico, Minnesota and Canada and Florida either are "at full capacity" or "just shy of full capacity."
"We're in a situation where outdoor adventure is essentially at capacity," said Furst, who was a Boy Scout at 6 years old. "We would like (another) jamboree and another high-adventure (site) for boy scouts."
Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico offers a backpacking adventure for boys and leaders and serves about 25,000 backpackers. Furst said there is currently a waiting list of about 25,000 there.
The Northern Tier in Minnesota and southern Canada offers scouts canoeing trips; and the Florida Sea Base is where Boy Scouts participate in snorkeling, scuba diving, boating and beach camping.
In June 2008, the national Boy Scouts submitted a proposal for potential sites, including a site in Goshen, Va., and West Virginia, for a new jamboree site and host to a different high-adventure experience.
"We found West Virginia … a site on the New River," Furst explained from his Texas office. "The gorge there is spectacular. It happens to be a site which would be a high-adventure experience."
Furst noted the gorge offers opportunities with whitewater rafting, rock climbing, and mountain biking in addition to backpacking.
"We have a high-adventure dream that we're pursuing in West Virginia," he stressed.
About 120 miles away is a potential site in Goshen, Va., that Furst said offers a lake and "more moderate terrain" for summer camps and a national jamboree.
Currently, 303 counsels make up the Boy Scouts of America, which pay fees to the national organization. Local counsels, he said, regularly host summer camps.
The nationals going to West Virginia and Virginia at only 100 miles apart would be a major step for the organization.
"This could be very interesting for the Boy Scouts," Furst commented, adding that the summers would offer full-time employment to individuals not affiliated with the organization.
Boys Scouts of America consist of 3.5 to 4 million youths, and about one million volunteers.
"There is a tremendous tradition in America and scouting," Furst noted.
But to make it all happen, organizers must go through a somewhat tedious process to acquire land and ensure the property is viable for their needs.
Following the land acquisition, local permits must be obtained to control the property and "then run it," Furst said, adding that conditions will determine whether they can actually use the property.
The Boy Scouts hope to obtain the permits between now and the end of the year and then will start planning and construction in 2010, 2011 and 2012 will be the planning and construction stage. Operation will begin the summer of 2013.
"That's the dream," Furst said. "It is the same for the Virginia site."
The planned National Scouting Center would not only be a permanent home for the jamboree and offer a high-adventure experience, but it also would offer opportunities for national leadership and outdoors skills training for the organization.
Furst said the high-adventure locations will be a "very green project" in that little will be done to the land.
Accommodations will include water and sewer line installation, shower facilities and other basic services needed by the Boy Scouts.
Although there will be some buildings, Furst said the project will be "very green to allow the great outdoors to speak to our kids."
"It's a fabulous project," he continued.. "We're in the very early stages of it. We have a lot of planning and goals to reach. We need to acquire more land to grow more programs so we can affect kids' lives."
If the project reaches fruition, it will be an opportunity for employment to area residents during the off-season months as well as during the summer. In Cimarron, N.M., the adventure site is the largest employer during the off-season and one of the top employers during the in-season.
Locally, he said, officials have welcomed the project.
Local and state officials, including the governor, have been involved in the discussions and proposal for obtaining the New River Gorge site.
"The response has been overwhelmingly in favor," Furst noted. "Everyone is looking forward to the Boy Scouts coming to West Virginia."
Furst, who is 50, is not employed by the Boy Scouts but is a volunteer who has been involved with the group since he was 6-years-old. He is an Eagle Scout, sits on the national board and is an executive officer.
"We are very excited," he emphasized. "We now need to make the sites work … for a high-adventure experience."
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