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.

Faced with current and future budget constraints at both the Cooperative Extension and University levels, I regret to convey the decision has been made to close the Bear Hill 4-H Camp. We simply do not have the needed revenue to cover the costs of operating a residential youth camp. This decision to close camp has been very carefully considered and has not come easily.

In the past, Extension was able to cover small shortfalls, in keeping with our commitment to offer this unique camping experience to youth. In the fall of 2006, Bear Hill 4-H Camp experienced its most significant shortfall. Due to the size of the 2006 deficit, and with future, unfavorable budget revenue projections, we notified the 4-H Youth Development staff and key stakeholders we would no longer offer the level of financial assistance we had in the past. It was clear that if this camp was to continue to operate, we would need to seek alternative external resources.

The commitment was made to keep the camp open in 2007, with the understanding that if camp realized any future year deficits, we would close without further discussion. That spring, we developed a public relations campaign related to the financial needs of camp, which appeared in publications such as the NH Business Review, the Concord Monitor and the Weekly Market Bulletin.

Even though this generated much interest, with our stakeholders and volunteers giving so much of their time and resources, we simply have not been able to generate the kind of financial support necessary to operate camp at a reasonable price for campers while maintaining a 70-year-old facility with 55 buildings on the grounds. (The facility was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and Extension has always leased the property through the NH Dept. of Resources and Economic Development.)

In December of 2008, following the end of our 2008 camping season, our camp director unexpectedly resigned. With this resignation coming so late in the year, and with few prospects for alternative staffing, the decision was made to suspend the Bear Hill 4-H Camp for the 2009 camping season. At the same time, a determination would be made regarding the future operation of this camp.

We have now completed an extensive study of what it would take to continue to operate 4-H Camp at Bear Hill with the following criteria taken into consideration:

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

In our study, we also reviewed the scholarship awards we made to many campers in the past, 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 nor do we have reserves in place should we have a major system failure such as septic or water.

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.

If you have any questions, I would encourage you to contact 4-H Program Leader Wendy Brock at 862-2187 or your county Extension 4-H Youth Development educator.