OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Dell Kerbs, R-Shawnee, today released the following statement regarding the announcement that the National 4-H Conference Center, one of the largest nonacademic youth education and conference facilities in America, is selling its Maryland facility due to government restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is heartbreaking news for the generations of 4-H participants who grew up traveling to the National 4-H Conference Center, where they made unforgettable memories, found lifelong friends and learned firsthand the value of leadership and hard work.

It’s incredibly frustrating to watch businesses and organizations like 4-H struggle to thrive and maintain their identity while living under an overreaching bureaucratic government that fails to take a step back and think about the consequences of their decisions.

This huge loss is the effect of those poorly thought-out decisions. Those decisions have everlasting consequences, and as a result, the 4-H community is losing a significant part of our history.

For members of the 4-H community, there are many fond memories attached to this place, but it’s my hope that 4-H’s mission to continue to instill leadership skills and hard work in our youth will remain no matter the location.”

Kerbs is chair of the House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee.

Click here to read the announcement from National 4-H Council President and CEO Jennifer Sirangelo.