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Committee clears bill to fix Boy Scouts camp deed so group can lease timber and easements
Summary
Senators voted to pass House Bill 1983, a statutory cleanup intended to correct a reversionary clause in a 1974 deed to land used by the Boy Scouts of America in Booneville so the council can lease portions of the property for timbering and scenic easements.
The Senate City, County & Local Affairs Committee passed House Bill 1983 on a voice vote, approving statutory language that would resolve a reversionary clause affecting land purchased for a Boy Scouts camp in 1974.
Shanna Richardson, CEO of the Boy Scouts of America for the state of Arkansas, told the committee the organization purchased roughly 2,800 acres in Booneville from a tuberculosis sanatorium in 1974 “for just under $70,000.” She said a reversionary clause in the deed limits the council’s ability to lease portions of the property for timbering or scenic easements that would provide income to maintain the camp and other properties.
“In 1991, a bill passed through trying to clean up that language, but it’s still slightly vague,” Richardson said, describing House Bill 1983 as a cleanup measure to correct the reversionary language and amend the earlier statute.
Representative Jason Ajarenko, who said he serves on the board of directors for the Boy Scouts’ state council, and other supporters described the camp’s recreational and youth programming, noting existing camp infrastructure such as a shooting range and lake facilities. No opponents appeared during the committee’s public-comment invitation.
Senator Wallace moved to pass the bill; Senator Jane English seconded. The chair called for the voice vote and announced that the bill passes. The transcript does not show a roll-call tally.
The sponsors described the measure as narrowly targeted to allow the Boy Scouts’ state council to generate income from timbering and easements without triggering the deed’s reversionary restriction. The bill will proceed through subsequent legislative steps after committee approval.
