Camp Bonneville is a 3,840 acre property located in the foothills of the Cascade Range, about seven miles north of the Columbia River. It was established in 1909 as a military training camp, and was used by various branches of the military for 85 years. The property is not open to the public.
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Camp Bonneville background
1909: Military use begins.
1926: Camp Bonneville is named.
1942: Used as a prison camp for Italian prisoners of war.
1995: The U.S. Army closes the facility. Transfer and reuse is selected by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission.
2006: The Board of Clark County Commissioners votes to accept the transfer of the property’s ownership to the county.
2011: Transfer is completed. Cleanup begins.
Today (2025): Click here for 2025 Camp Bonneville priorities and approximate timelines.
The cleanup’s scope of work is defined by the Camp Bonneville Reuse Plan, which also defined potential future uses and use areas (Microsoft Word - CampBonnevilleReuseFinal update 3-19-06.doc (wa.gov)). The reuse plan shaped the Prospective Purchaser Consent Decree (https://clark.wa.gov/media/document/175746) which outlines the deliverables for the cleanup actions.
The project was broken into three cleanup areas, called remedial action units (RAU). Each RAU may have subareas. For more information on the cleanup project, please visit the Department of Ecology.
Camp Bonneville Advisory Group (CAG)
The purpose of the Camp Bonneville Advisory Group was to independently review the cleanup status. Ecology issued a memorandum on Aug. 27, 2024, confirming the no-further-action letters for each remedial action unit were accurate. The County and Ecology are conducting a periodic review of cleanup of all remedial action units, except 2c. The advisory group’s efforts would have duplicated this process. Council approved the dissolution of the CAG at the council meeting on Oct. 9, 2024. Use the dropdown menu below to select a year (2023 or 2024) to see CAG meeting minutes, meeting audio and information.
Council Discussions and Communications
Memo to council, Jan. 30, 2025
Oct. 9, 2024 work session
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q50iM7IqKok
May 22, 2024 council time discussion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8z411S0INg
March 6, 2024 council time discussion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYDAPMAS6AQ
Jan.10, 2024 council time discussion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwpk07edyQY
April 20, 2022 council time discussion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRQtlDroVnk
Dec. 8, 2021 council time discussion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA597W0CkP4
April 28, 2021 work session
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub1-5zJXGcM