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Committee clears bill to amend Boy Scouts camp deed reversion clause
Summary
Lawmakers passed House Bill 1983, a cleanup measure supporters said would clarify a reversionary clause in a 1974 deed for a Boy Scouts camp in Booneville and allow the council to lease portions of the land for timbering or easements to raise funds.
Shanna Richardson, chief executive officer of the Boy Scouts of America for Arkansas, described House Bill 1983 to the committee as a cleanup measure to correct a reversionary clause in a 1974 deed for a scout camp in Booneville.
"We purchased a piece of land from the tuberculosis sanatorium in 1974 for just under $70,000," Shanna Richardson said. She told the committee the tract is roughly 2,800 acres and currently carries a reversionary clause that limits the council's ability to lease land for timbering or scenic easements to raise income for property maintenance.
Richardson said a 1991 bill attempted to clarify the language but left some ambiguity; the current bill would amend that earlier statute to remove the restriction and permit the council to better utilize the property. Representative Jason Ajarenko, who also serves on the council's board of directors, spoke in support and noted the camp's amenities and youth programs.
A senator moved to pass the bill and the committee voted to approve it. The transcript records a motion from Senator Wallace to pass, seconded by Senator Jane English, and the chair announced the bill passed; a roll-call tally was not recorded in the hearing transcript.
Why it matters: supporters said clarifying the deed will allow the local scout council to generate revenue from the property to support camp operations and other council activities.
What the record shows: testimony included the purchase year (1974), purchase price (under $70,000), approximate acreage (about 2,800 acres), and prior legislative cleanup in 1991; the committee approved the cleanup bill in this session.
