The Clark County Council held a public workshop Wednesday, Oct. 22, with FBI officials following the council’s August decision not to renew the agency’s training agreement at Camp Bonneville.
Three of the five council members, Chair Sue Marshall and Councilors Glen Yung and Matt Little, attended the presentation.
Doug Olson, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Portland field office, led the discussion, joined by other bureau representatives from the Seattle office. The session focused on the FBI’s training needs, financial history and potential environmental remediation at the 3,840-acre former U.S. Army site northeast of Vancouver.
“The FBI’s presence in Camp Bonneville is not just about training federal agents,” Olson said. “It’s about strengthening public safety, supporting the local economy and maintaining partnerships that benefit Clark County.”
Olson outlined the bureau’s activity in the region, citing more than 200 investigations and 179 arrests in Clark County over the past three years.
“Between Aug. 22 and Aug. 24, 2025, FBI personnel assisted in a multi-agency operation in Battle Ground, identifying and arresting individuals involved in the sexual abuse and exploitation of children,” Olson added. “The operation yielded a total of 12 arrests, some of which are under consideration for federal charges.”
Olson also highlighted a 2023–2024 operation that dismantled a transnational drug trafficking group, resulting in the seizure of 7 pounds of fentanyl pills, 43 pounds of methamphetamine and multiple firearms, including an assault rifle with a grenade launcher attachment. He said such cases underscore the need for advanced tactical training opportunities nearby.
The FBI’s use of Camp Bonneville has been a point of contention for local residents before the council voted 3-1 on Aug. 19 to reject a one-year contract proposal. Residents have voiced concerns about environmental contamination and whether the site’s conservation deed allows shooting ranges. The January theft of 12,000 rounds of ammunition added to those concerns, leading to the discontinuation of the contract.
As Wednesday’s workshop did not include public comments, several local neighbors took to a Tuesday, Oct. 21, meeting to express their frustration.
“When the property was conveyed from the U.S. Defense Department to Clark County back in 2006, it was done so with the explicit purpose or agreement that the property would be used for natural resource conservation,” Mark Leed, representative of the local Sierra Club chapter, said, calling for the discontinuation of existing contracts with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Local resident Ann Shaw argued that federal documents stated closure of Camp Bonneville was scheduled by October 2006, when the U.S. Army ended its training activities before transferring the area’s ownership to Clark County.
“Every agreement authorizing law enforcement’s use of Camp Bonneville is a violation of federal law,” she said.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Olson defended the bureau’s record of maintaining the facility and its financial fairness to the county.
“The FBI has consistently demonstrated good faith in its financial commitments at Camp Bonneville, operating the facilities at zero cost to Clark County while investing heavily in improvements,” he said. “Over the years, the FBI has funded significant infrastructure upgrades, including firing lanes, structures, and tactical venues that have reduced firearms use by nearly 50%.”
He added that the bureau “has never sought to avoid paying fees” and that its per-use cost at Camp Bonneville is among the highest in the nation for FBI training sites. Olson said the FBI also covers recurring costs such as waste disposal, internet service and maintenance supplies to keep the site operational.
Under the earlier terms, however, the bureau was to pay $400,000 for cleanup, a figure later adjusted to $515,000 due to inflation. That FBI contribution was reduced to $315,000 after the Clark County Sheriff’s Office began using the range in 2019, leaving the county to cover the remainder.
Olson also addressed security issues following the January theft of 12,000 rounds of ammunition from the site.
“In direct response to county concerns about trespassing and theft across the property, not just within the range, the bureau invested tens of thousands of dollars in security upgrades, including access gates and reinforced security doors,” he said. “The positive impact of these improvements was immediate, significant, reducing unauthorized activity on the site.”
He said the FBI additionally installed motion alarms, fencing and WiFi cameras for real-time monitoring, measures that have reduced break-ins across the property.
Councilor Glen Yung said he requested the work session to allow a public discussion of the FBI’s proposal.
“There is no material difference between what you said here and what we discussed during those meetings, so the public can rest assured there were no promises made,” Yung said. “None of the insinuations that were suggested have taken place. This is the purpose of this, to bring this to the public.”
Yung said he remains open to reconsidering the contract if the county can ensure compliance with federal conservation rules and public safety.
“I do want to voice my concern right now over the legal status,” Yung said. “I’ve heard multiple different understandings of what the deed allows to take place out there, and for me there’s some uncertainty that I need to have clarified.”
County Chair Sue Marshall thanked the FBI for the presentation and noted that, while the sheriff’s office continues interim use of the site, there is public interest in transforming Camp Bonneville into a campground in the future.
“There will be, once the cleanup occurs, a broad public process for uses of Camp Bonneville that may be a few years off,” Marshall said. “When we had this discussion with our sheriff, it was recognized there is a need to really find a long-term stable site, and there’s a public want to see camping opportunities there.”
Marshall also acknowledged that the council’s next steps would depend on environmental testing and regulatory review, saying cleanup progress must precede any new public-use plans.
FBI representatives said the agency uses Camp Bonneville for roughly 60 training days each year, including firearms and tactical sessions. Training takes place only on weekdays and mornings, with suppressors and small-caliber ammunition to reduce noise and environmental impact.
“Training is never conducted on weekends, evenings or holidays, and participation is limited exclusively to FBI personnel,” Olson said.
The FBI reiterated its willingness to move forward with cleanup measures, including working with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on lead mitigation.
“We had been in talks with the county and OSHA in the past over the last three years,” Olson said. “They would come out and scrape that berm … It would probably mitigate about 80% of the lead in the berm and then they coat it with a rubberized material that prevents further lead from entering.”
Olson said that the remediation approach would significantly limit contamination and allow training to continue safely while longer-term environmental plans are developed. He also clarified that the FBI currently does not store ammunition or weapons at the site except for limited periods during active training days, a policy he said was implemented to prevent future theft.
The council did not make any decisions on Wednesday, but members said the information gathered will inform future discussions about Camp Bonneville’s future use.
