Last week, a representative of a trust asked the Marlborough board of supervisors to support a grant application that could lead to the Boy Scout camp in the township becoming part of the state forest system. Representatives of the quarry in Perkiomenville were also on hand at the monthly supervisors meeting to directly rebut concerns about the quarry becoming a trash repository.

            Todd Sampsell, the vice president for conservation services for Natural Lands trust, asked the board to furnish a letter of support for a grant application that could lead to the Bureau of Forestry acquiring Camp Delmont's 670 acres.

            This proposal stems from a national bankruptcy settlement related to sexual abuse charges against the Boy Scouts of America. The Boys Scouts are required to put several assets, including land, into a trust for sale. Locally, that includes the Musser Scout Reservation's 1,200-plus acres in Marlborough, where Camp Delmont is located.

           Natural Lands have been asked to put in for a grant to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Community Conservation Partnership Program to help fund the acquisition while seeking matching funds from a federal program.

            According to its website, "Natural Lands is a non-profit organization that saves open space, cares for nature, and connects people to the outdoors in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey."

            Sampsell noted that the Musser property is protected by a conservation easement. This protection is an important factor because the land cannot be subdivided by private firms, such as developers. While that does not preclude other bidders coming in, only conservation organizations and government entities can subdivide.

            If the acquisition is successful, the land would be open to the public like any other forest land. Supervisor Brian Doremus wondered about the scouts' access to their traditional camp if the land is open to the public.

            Sampsell replied, "There is interest from the Boy Scouts in, under some kind of a contractual agreement, or, from time-to-time, being able to utilize some of the camp's infrastructure to hold trainings for staff or to do Boy Scout activities, but it would no longer be owned by the Boy Scouts or permanently a Boy Scout camp."   

            Doremus was told by Sampsell that the Bureau of Forestry would maintain the buildings and other infrastructure "unless there is some agreement with the Boy Scouts."

            Doremus also expressed concern that ATV parks are located on some state forest lands

            "The nice thing about this tract is it's already protected by the conservation easement that wouldn't allow that, and that will stay in place," Sampsell replied.

            The transfer is far from a done deal.

           "The most likely scenario for some of these properties, particularly the one's protected with an easement like this one, is they'll sit in that trust for a period of time until, at some point, the Boy Scouts are hopeful that they could buy some of them back for, frankly, pennies on the dollar because the trust doesn't want to hold land," Sampsell said in response to a question from Doremus about whether the sale of the Boy Scout properties will raise enough cash for the settlement.

            Sampsell estimated that the process of transferring the property could take one to two years once the trust is set up.

            Supervisors Billy Hurst and Bill Jacobs voted to support the grant application with a letter. Doremus voted against.

            Highway Material Inc. representatives were also on hand to clarify concerns about dumping at the quarry. On March 9, a Marlborough resident had asked about rumors that the dumping of trash was going to be allowed at the Perkiomenville site.

            HMI attorney Steve Harris narrated a slide presentation, explaining that no application has been made to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Harris told the meeting that HMI would have to file for an amendment to its permit and that Marlborough Township would be part of the process.

            Harris' slides showed the steps involved in a reclamation landfill utilizing inorganic material, dirt and rocks.

            "The loads are screened so there are no contaminants in the loads that are dumped in the quarry," Harris said. "There can be no organic material. There can be no trash."

            Alan Stotz, Highway Materials operations manager, described the use of a gas "sniffer" tube that searches for organic material after being inserted into every arriving load at the quarry.

            "And every 25th load, a physical sample is taken, sent to an independent laboratory, and those results are sent to the DEP just to confirm we haven't taken any material that's contaminated," Stotz said.

           Police Chief Darren Morgan thanked Project Live UP for its $1,400 donation. The money came from the Citizien's Assist 5K/5Mile Race in November. Morgan said the money will go toward technology equipment, such as in-car printers.

            Marlborough police will attend the April 26 Chamber of Commerce Business Expo and Job Fair at the Upper Perkiomen YMCA. They will have their drug take back box available for getting rid of unused medications from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

            The supervisors approved requests for extensions on building projects for Dollar General, 90 days, and Haines Welcome Center, 30 days.

Before the regular meeting, an executive session was held to discuss litigation and personnel. An executive session was also held on March 17 to discuss litigation.

            The next board of supervisors meeting is on Wednesday, May 11, at 7 p.m.