On Feb. 24, the State Court of Appeals, Division II, overturned a lower court’s ruling to determine the City of Federal Way cannot purchase Camp Kilworth.

The 25-acre parcel in Federal Way is owned by the Pacific Harbors Council of the Boys Scouts of America and overlooks Puget Sound. The land was deeded to the scouts in the 1930s by William Kilworth and his second wife. The deed requires the land be used for scouting purposes.

Federal Way offered to buy the property for $3 million in October 2005, but two Kilworth trusts — believing the action went against the deed — fought the sale. In September 2007, Judge Thomas Larkin ruled in favor of the Boy Scouts. He noted that Federal Way planned to continue letting the scouts use the land periodically. The city also plans to maintain the area as a park and open it to the public.

The trusts appealed the judge’s decision and the issue was taken to the Court of Appeals, where it was overturned. The Boy Scouts have not announced whether they will file a counter appeal in hopes of selling the land and using the money to improve larger scouting camps.