TMR – The Next Fort A P Hill?

Roy More posted on his TSPA Blog:

I  heard this from a friend of mine, Jay Lenrow, that the upcoming 2010 100th Anniversary of BSA Jamboree will be the last one to be held at Fort A. P. Hill. Jay and I were Council Presidents of our respective councils when participating in Philmont Key-3 Training Conference. Since then we’ve kept in touch at National Meetings and other gatherings.

Here’s what Jay had to say. What is your reaction?

I can officially tell you that the rumors you have heard are true. The 2010 National Jamboree will be the last one to be held at Fort A.P.  Hill. There is a committee of volunteers that has been appointed by Rick Cronk, the National President, to find a permanent home for the  National Jamboree that will be owned by the BSA. They are currently looking at many properties.    

You can read the rest there.

There have been rumors for years that TMR would become the “Philmont of the East,”  that it would become a Northeast Region High Adventure Base and or a National BSA Training Center. 

Is TMR on the list of properties being considered as the permanent site of National Jamborees? 

Pros

  • 12,000 plus acres, mostly undeveloped and already owned by the Scouts. 

  • Less of the reservation currently in use by GNYC for summer camps

  • GNYC numbers alone probably would not support the 3 remaining open camps.

Cons -  

  • Infrastructure - even at its height of 13 camps there were probably only 2500 people in camp at any given time not 25,000 to 50,000.  Most of the facilities in the closed camps are gone or in poor condition.

  • Terrain -  Most of the reservation is heavily wooded and while not major by Western standards part of the Catskill mountains.

  • County Infrastructure – Local Roads and facilities would likley be overwhelmed by Jamboree related traffic.

None of the these cons are insurmountable, although the thought of Jamboree traffic on County Roads 23 and 26 let alone State Routes 55 and 17B is a pretty scary thought. 

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