The Girl Scouts-Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas recently made the decision to, at least temporarily, close four of its eight camps across Arkansas.
Closures include Camp Karlton Kemp in Miller County, which will be immediately closed after existing reservations are honored. Camp High Point near Mena, Ark., will close after the 2016 summer season.
The properties being closed or "rested" will go through discovery phase to determine how they can be used to best benefit the council.
A letter from the Girl Scouts-Diamonds board of directors to community stakeholders was provided to the Gazette.
" It is irresponsible to allow resources to either be unrealized or to pose a financial burden on our council. Therefore, we have undergone a period of critical evaluation of our wilderness properties in order to offer recommendations regarding their current utility and future potential," the letter said.
The cost of running Girl Scout wilderness properties at the most basic level is $500,000 a year, according to the letter.
Camps aren't being used enough and Girl Scout officials would like to consolidate and focus on improving the other four camps, increasing attendance and usage.
"We have a girl membership of approximately 10,000 girls and an average of fewer than five percent attend residential camps each year. This is an indicator that all of our wilderness camp properties are not being used to their fullest potential," the letter said.
Other closures include Camp Noark in Huntsville, Ark., which will shut its doors after the 2016 summer season, and Camp Taloha in Pine Bluff, Ark., which will immediately close after reservations at the camp are met.