Home | D-bar-A Project

Who – American Aggregates of Michigan and the Boy Scouts of America have submitted a Conditional Rezoning and Special Land Use application to the Township of Metamora to acquire approval for a Mining and Reclamation Plan.

Where – The Project Site includes 724 acres in Metamora Township, Lapeer County, MI; 154 acres of this site are owned by American Aggregates of Michigan (AAOM) and the remaining 570 acres are owned by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), and are under a lease agreement with AAOM.

Why – The project objectives are to extract natural resources from the Project Site for the production of construction grade aggregates for sale to markets in the local metropolitan region, while shaping the land to meet the recreational and agricultural needs of the BSA.

The proposed mining operation will benefit the community in the following ways:

Increase the long-term value of the Project Site and its potential for recreational use by the BSA.
Provide long-term financial stability to the BSA and the D-bar-A Ranch for programming, capital improvements, and maintenance of the facility.
Provide the local community and the regional construction industry with a readily available source of construction grade sand and gravel in close proximity to the demand, thereby reducing costs for both tax-payer funded and private construction projects in the region.

History

Since 1950, D-bar-A-Scout Ranch has been providing quality scouting experiences for Scouts, Schools, and Churches from Southeast Michigan and around the Midwest. The ranch consists of over 1,700 acres of wilderness, 3 lakes, a herd of horses, Long Horn steers, and other livestock, and many open tent sites. Program facilities also include a 32 foot climbing tower, Lonesome Pines Boy Scout Shooting Center (Rifle, Shotgun, and Archery), Robert Morrison Cub Scout Shooting Center (BB Gun and Archery), Nature Center and handicap nature trail, Bouldering Wall, and 11 miles of hiking trails. In addition, our 28 heated cabins provide for year around camping experiences. During the summer months, D-bar-A Scout Ranch offers Boy Scout and Cub Scout Resident Camps, and several horse related programs unique to D-bar-A Scout Ranch.

D-Bar-A Scout Ranch website

Long Range Plan

MCC Long Range Plan

The creation of the Michigan Crossroads Council (MCC) has offered a unique opportunity to reassess, and strategically integrate our sixteen camp properties in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Our Strategic Plan for properties emphasizes that exceptional facilities are the support platform for outstanding programming for Boy Scout, Cub Scout, Venturing, and Order of the Arrow activities. With camping as the cornerstone of Scouting, exceptional camps increase our goal of membership growth and retention and build the Boy Scout brand in our state. The Michigan Crossroads Council Outdoor Adventures Committee Long Range Strategic Plan outlines the necessary maintenance and capital funding needed to support our planned growth for Scouting in Michigan. This project will help support our goals.

D-bar-A Scout Ranch website

Partnership with Edw. C. Levy Co.

The Solution to Our Need

In support of the MCC Long Range Plan, the Boy Scouts at D-bar-A Scout Ranch have pursued and signed a lease agreement with the Edw. C. Levy Co. This agreement defines the mining operation’s boundaries and limitations, determines an annual payment of royalty from the Edw. C. Levy Co. to the Michigan Crossroads Council, and details a collaborative planning effort aimed to reduce the mining processes interference with to the community and D-bar-A Scout Ranch activities. In addition, the reclamation portion of this project will allow us to improve the property and provide more facilities and outdoor experiences for our campers and guests.