Winnebago Council Camp Update – 2/5/13

Winnebago Scout Reservation

The leadership of the Winnebago Council and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation have signed a purchase agreement earlier this month. All indications are we will close on April 1, 2013, for the Winnebago Scout Reservation. In the long run, Floyd County Conservation will purchase this property, and it is our understanding that the property will be available to public and Scouts alike.

Floyd County Conservation will be conducting an open house on Saturday, March 30, at the Winnebago Scout Reservation to share plans for the future use of the property. You can purchase tickets at www.fossilcenter.com/tickets or call 641-756-3490.

Ingawanis Adventure Base

We are in the midst of finalizing a purchase agreement for the south one-third of the Ingawanis Adventure Base that includes the building known as “Eagle Lodge”. Lawyers for the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and the Winnebago Council are defining property boundaries south of Wakota Creek. Presently definitive boundaries have not been finalized; this is strictly a matter of defining property parcels. A closing date has not been specified yet, but we are confident it will occur quickly as soon as legal parcels are identified, optimistically by the middle or end of February. Once again, the purchase agreement is through the Iowa National Heritage Foundation who will resell to Bremer County Conservation in the next year.

Our understanding is that Eagle Lodge will stay intact and will be available for rental to youth groups and church organizations alike. This property also contains the “old C.O.P.E.” area; the existing C.O.P.E. events will be dismantled in April. New C.O.P.E. events have already been constructed near the Butternut campsite and will be up and running with no interruption as soon as the Summer camping season begins.