Seeds of Peace receives several relocation offers

OTISFIELD – An internationally known Maine youth camp is getting offers to pull up roots and move out of state.

Seeds of Peace, which brings together teen-agers from conflicting countries, has received offers from officials in four states to relocate, said John Wallach, the camp’s founder.

“[They’re] saying, ‘The state will give you a camp to use if you’ll move your whole operation to West Virginia,” he told WGME-TV.

Similar offers have come from Connecticut, California and Florida, but Wallach said he’s not interested in relocating.

“We love it here,” he said. “It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world.”

The camp, located about an hour outside Portland deep in the Maine woods of Otisfield, was founded with the goal of helping natural-born enemies become friends. Twenty-two nations have been represented at the camp in the past nine years.

The nonprofit organization leases the camp from private owners, but it would eventually like to have a place to call its own, Wallach said.

The camp receives financial support from participating countries, Congress, and the state of Maine, but relies largely on fund-raising. It pays about $16,000 in property taxes each year.

Rep. Ted Heidrich, R-Oxford, said Maine should offer more financial support to the camp.

“I think there are many states that would love to have this camp,” he said. “Let’s face it, it brings national attention to the state. And what it can do for Maine, I think, is just unbelievable.”

The camp offers two sessions each summer. This year’s sessions include about 150 teen-agers from conflicting regions, including India and Pakistan, the Balkans, the Middle East, and northern and southern Cyprus.