Proposed Lease at Former Camp Daybreak Site (to Muslim Youth Camps of America)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers--Rock Island District ^ | July 7, 2003 | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

[DesertGOP]

Proposed Lease at Former Camp Daybreak Site

Purpose: To provide information for the proposed non-profit real estate lease at the former Camp Daybreak Site at Coralville Reservoir.

General Description: The lease area includes an approximately 106+ acre tract of Federal land north of North Liberty, Iowa, along Coralville Lake. The Girl Scouts formerly leased the area for use as Camp Daybreak. The Corps proposes to lease the area to Muslim Youth Camps of America (MYCA) for development of a summer resident camp with off-season use by other non-profit groups. MYCA proposes to construct a main lodge, winterized cabins, and a caretakers residence. A housing development occurs on privately owned land along the north boundary of the proposed lease area. The proposed lease area is owned in fee title by the Department of the Army.

Corps of Engineers regulations do not require competition for non-profit recreational leases. After expiration of the Girl Scout lease and a decision by the Girl Scout organization not to continue to lease the land, informal contacts were made to see if any other organizations would be interested in leasing the site. Initially, one organization, Camp IO-DIS-E-CA, expressed an interest. After discussions began with IO-DIS-E-CA, another organization, MYCA, also expressed an interest. Both organizations were asked to submit a preliminary proposal. Criteria, based upon current Corps regulations and previous experience with non-profit group leases, were determined and a selection committee was formed. The committee recommended the MYCA proposal as the best overall proposal to meet the Corps' designated recreational use of the site. Leases of Corps land are subject to compliance with federal laws, such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act, the Endangered Species Act, etc.

An Environmental Assessment was prepared under contract with Zambrana Engineering, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri. The Environmental Assessment evaluated the environmental, cultural and socio-economic impact of the proposed lease. A lease cannot be issued until the environmental compliance process has been completed.

Comment Period Completed: The standard length for the public review and comment period is 30 days. The comment period for this EA, from Nov. 19 2002, through Jan. 2 2003, was extended an additional 15 days, in part due to the holidays. The comment period closed January 2, 2003.

[DesertGOP]

Here's some news that most folks probably are not aware of, but it might be of interest to those who like to keep tract of how the U.S. government continues to bend over backwards for those of the Muslim faith, while Uncle Sam has no problem discriminating against those of opposing faiths. It involves the federal government leasing land to a faith-based (i.e., "religious") organization--in this case, Islamic in origin--something I highly doubt the ACLU ("Anti-Christian Litigation Unit"--well, you know whom I'm referring to) would ever dream of tolerating or even outright supporting.

Now, where's the ACLU decrying the need for "separation of Church and state?" Perhaps we should also demand a separation of Mosque and state, as well.

[chicagolady]

Besides the Homosexuals should be fighting against them because I am sure they do not allow Queers in!