WEST MILFORD – The Highlands Council is preserving 36 acres of pristine property in the township known as Camp Vacamas.
The camp, located here since 1955, is situated in Apshawa adjacent to the Bloomingdale Borough boundary. Before Vacamas was located on the site this was the vacation retreat of the wealthy Van Wyck family of New York City. from the 1920s to around 1950.
A significant portion of the land being preserved connects to a larger forested area made up of state and nonprofit lands, adding to a 10-mile corridor that stretches beyond the New York State border. The property provides habitat for numerous state and federal rare threatened and endangered species such as the golden winged warbler, timber rattlesnake, Indiana bat and Northern Goshawk.
The camp is the home of a non-profit organization, Hands in 4 Youth (HI4Y), which provides summer camp experiences for young people from diverse backgrounds. The organization was founded in 1924 and has been located here since 1955.
“This is a unique opportunity to protect natural resources and help support valuable environmental education programs for children,” Highlands Council Executive Director Lisa Plevin said. “The Camp Vacamas property contains some exceptional forests and wildlife habitat, and is adjacent to several other preserved lands, so we were very happy to work with the owners to protect it from future development.”
All of the lots being preserved are mapped by the Highlands Council as “Special Environmental Zone” and located within “Preservation Priority” areas. This means the resources are some of the most sensitive in the region and should be protected from future development.
Highlands Council Chairman Carl Richko is a former West Milford mayor and lifelong township resident.
“The goal of the Highlands Act is to protect the water resources of the region,” Richko said. “One of the ways we do that is through preservation projects. It’s particularly satisfying to work with a property owner who understands the value of the natural resources in the Highlands and shares our commitment to protecting them.”
HI4Y provides students ages 6 to 17 with summer camp and after school programs designed to empower children to pursue their dreams, Carole Ann Dicton, Manager of Communications for the Highlands Council, said in a press release. At the core of the organization’s mission is the belief that immersion in the natural world fosters social and emotional growth and teaches children skills that will benefit them for a lifetime.
Multiple lots within the camp boundary will be preserved through a conservation easement that will limit future development. The parcels being preserved are located in areas of the camp designated for hiking, nature walks and other activities that provide opportunities for campers to connect with nature, the press release said.
The camp currently serves between 250 and 300 campers each season, but has served as many as 1,200 per season in the past. HI4Y intends to use funding from the preservation project to address maintenance needs on the property, which have prevented it from operating at capacity, Dicton said.