4-H Camps Update

Barry Conservation Camp

New Hampshire Fish and Game has determined the Barry Conservation Camp site won’t be available for the 2010 camping season, due to needed facility improvements. 

4-H Camp at Bear Hill to Close
A high quality camping program has long been a tradition in the New Hampshire 4-H Youth Development program. Over the past 70 years, we have offered many youth and camp counselors an exceptional experience at the Bear Hill 4-H Camp facility at Bear Brook State Park. Despite the positive aspects of operating a traditional, residential camp at Bear Hill, the camp has consistently operated at a deficit for many years.

An extensive study of what it would take to continue to operate 4-H Camp at Bear Hill was conducted, with the following criteria taken into consideration:

1. Provide a safe, high quality positive youth development experience.
2. Meet American Camping Association and state agency standards.
3. Hire the required number of qualified staff to meet staff/camper guidelines. To meet the stated criteria we would need to charge a camper fee that would be unaffordable for most campers who traditionally attended the camp.

We also reviewed scholarship awards made to many campers, but with this difficult economy, camperships are more difficult to secure. Even with a significant increase in the camping fee, we would just “break even.” We would still be faced with the costs of facility upgrades and normal repairs and maintenance, not included in calculating the increased camper fee. We simply do not have sufficient resources needed to maintain the facility and provide the quality camp experience that we are known for.

All UNH and Extension staff, volunteers, former camp staff, board members, donors and staff at the Department of Resources and Economic Development/Division of Parks are owed a deep debt of gratitude for your part in making Bear Hill 4-H Camp a place that made lifetime memories for thousands of people over more than 70 years.
 
For further information, contact 4-H Youth Development Program Leader Wendy Brock at 603-862-2187 or email.