Petition Aims To Save Beloved Girl Scouts Camp In Milford

MILFORD, CT — The Milford community and beyond is rallying to try and save a beloved Girl Scouts camp.

Camp Katoya, located at 71 Country Lane in Milford, is owned by Girl Scouts of Connecticut and is listed to be sold as part of the organization’s long-range property plan.

Girl Scouts of Connecticut currently owns 13 camp properties in the state and is planning on selling several of them to generate funds to invest in existing camps, according to the organization’s website.

The long-range plan will “help the Council deliver its mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character through a sustainable and realistic property strategy that will capitalize on current market opportunities while building to support the current and future needs of girls,” according to a post on the Girl Scouts of Connecticut website.

Officials said many of the organization’s 13 camp properties are “well-loved and have served girls for many years - but we have not always invested in them as we should,” the post on the website states. “GSOFCT would need to spend nearly $5M in deferred maintenance costs to bring all thirteen properties up to modern standards.

“We want to make smart choices about our resources and how best to support girls and future membership. That is why we have developed a long-range property plan so that we can focus our resources on creating the best outdoor experiences possible.”

The other properties listed to be sold in the plan are Candlewood, Carlson and Laurel (after relocating to Yankee), according to the website.

An online petition, titled “Save Camp Katoya in Milford!,” has garnered more than 1,600 signatures as of Monday afternoon.

The petition describes Camp Katoya as a 35-acre “slice of heaven in a busy city with a population of 54,000 residents.” The camp has been in service for 70 years, according to the petition.

The petition, which was started by Megan Lawrie on Change.org, said when Girl Scouts of Connecticut closed Camp Murray in East Haven “they said it because it was hardly used. This is not the case with Katoya. This is a well loved and often used camp.”

“Camp Katoya in Milford has hosted a successful summer day camp for many years,” Lawrie wrote in the petition. “Funds were raised to build a brand new pool and flush toilets in 2014.”

Officials announced that Camp Katoya’s popular summer day camp will not be offered this year.

“This is an opportunity for us to best focus our staff, programming, and resources while adhering to the safety guidelines for summer youth camps in Connecticut,” a post on the website reads. “Unfortunately, we know this decision will impact many of our girls who have made camp Katoya their summer home. Summer camp and outdoor adventures are a time-honored Girl Scout tradition and one of the four core pillars of our Girl Scout Leadership Experience. We share in the disappointment this decision brings but hope girls will discover new opportunities and make new friends at one of our other Girl Scout camps.”

Camp Katoya has been used by many troops in Milford and surrounding towns, according to Lawrie.

“The pool, hiking trails and archery range are a few of the girls favorite things at Katoya,” Lawrie wrote. “It has also been host to many Council sponsored programs including The Haunted Hike which draws hundreds of people from all over the state every year.

“Girl Scouts of CT has not allowed anyone to use Camp Katoya in Milford for over a year. The girls have lost so much this past year due to the pandemic. Don’t take away their beloved camp!

“If the camp is sold, a developer will come in and most likely build more housing in an already crowded town. Wildlife will be displaced and other environmental impacts will be felt.”

For more information, visit the petition here.

Read Girl Scouts of Connecticut’s full long-range property plan here.