'What's up with Stonehaven'

It sits on the end of Albright Road just of Simmons in the Town of Lewiston just north of Bond Lake (OK, Burmaster Park).

Stonehaven Nature Preserve, formerly Stonehaven Boy Scout camp gets forgotten a lot these days.

Go for a hike and you are likely to be alone. Heck, you can even let your dog off leash if he is well behaved.

The Express reached out to Lewiston Supervisor Steve Broderick to ask what the town’s plans are for the preserve.

"It's a secret," Broderick said, "only we don't want it to be."

No matter how many people he tells about the serene preserve few seem to visit.

“What you see is what you get,” he said. “We can’t put in a roller coaster, we can’t develop it. I’m up for election this year. My opponent says a lot of things, like we are going to allow ice to keep immigrants there. It couldn’t be farther from the truth.”

Broderick said because of liability, the town can’t allow camping on the 66-acre parcel it acquired from the Boy Scouts of America for $540,000 with a Greenway Grant.

It can, however, offer passive recreation, hiking, walking a dog and fishing are all permissible activities.

The fate of structures on the property is undecided. Some will be demolished, for example Leaders Lodge may be unstable. The maintenance building is ugly. The town may also build a picnic grove.

There have been some preliminary discussions with the county about putting in a path to more connect the two parks. If you walk in the woods now behind Leaders Lodge heading west along the escarpment it is easy to get twisted around and not be able to find your way back.

A few things have changed a well since the Scout camp closed. For example, the town brushhogged the margins and fixed the roads. Vehicles are no longer allowed past the parking lot but the notorious potholes that Scouts filled as part of their Order of the Arrow ordeal are history. The roads have been smoothed out and are better than ever.

Another big change is with years of Scouts not trampling the forest for deadfall firewood, the understory seems to be becoming overgrown and more natural. In time, as the forest matures, it will become more wild. For now, in a few weeks, the sprouts of black cohosh will be joined by trout lilies. Ramps have not been found yet (at least by me). Ramps are a garlic/onion flavored delicacy. Black Cohosh was used traditionally in herbal medicine and by indigenous people in the treatment of menopausal symptoms.

Broderick said the town received a request from someone who wanted to harvest maple sap but told them no. Passive is what's best but it's OK to pick a mushroom or some spring salad greens.