ESLC transfers Camp Grove Point to expand Grove Farm WMA

 

In September 2024, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) purchased Camp Grove Point Girl Scout Camp on the banks of the Sassafras River in Cecil County. The last year and a half has subsequently been spent working with Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and contracting partners to restore the property to a more natural state, including the removal of numerous abandoned septic systems and wells and the demolition and removal of many aged and unsafe buildings. ESLC is thrilled to announce the property has now been formally transferred to DNR as a future addition to the Grove Farm Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Grove Farm WMA is managed by DNR’s Wildlife and Heritage Service and this new addition to the complex will eventually be opened to the public for hunting and other passive recreation including birding and hiking.

 

The addition of Grove Point to the Grove Farm WMA is another preservation success for the greater Grove Neck area. Approximately 5,953 acres of the 6,158-acre peninsula are currently protected, including 1,716 acres conserved by ESLC. This on-the-ground conservation ensures the Grove Neck area will retain its spectacular open space character forever.

 

ESLC President and CEO Steve Kline commented, “Increasing and improving public access is a priority for Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. Grove Neck is a great opportunity to work with key partners like Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources to bring hundreds of additional acres to the public, to enjoy hiking, hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into readying a property like this for public access. We’re proud to help share this unique landscape with residents and visitors across the Eastern Shore.”

 

 

“Providing and expanding our public access for outdoor recreation is one of our department’s highest priorities,” said Karina Stonesifer, Director of DNR’s Wildlife and Heritage Service. “We appreciate the dedicated work of Eastern Shore Land Conservancy securing this property to expand Grove Farm and protect more land for future generations of Marylanders to enjoy.”

 

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 cliffs and narrow beaches home to the federally threatened, state endangered Puritan tiger beetle, whose declining populations exist only along the Connecticut River Valley and the Chesapeake Bay.