Oregon National Guard Public Affairs Office
January 121, 202
The federal government uses a process called Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) to constantly reassess the military’s space and training needs measured against best uses for budget. During recent BRAC changes, Camp Umatilla, located at the junction of I-84 and I-82, in Eastern Oregon, has been divided into parcels. One parcel will be turned into a wildlife conservation refuge. A second will become an industrial zone to aid in the economic growth of the area. The third portion of land will be taken over by the Oregon Department of Transportation with the remaining portion going to the Oregon National Guard for use as a training area with big plans for the future of the site.
The history of the Umatilla site dates back to 1940, when the Army selected a 16,000-acre plot of northeastern Oregon sage land for a new munitions depot and general supply storage. Construction work began in January 1941, and 10 months later, on October 14, 1941, officials opened the U.S. Army Umatilla Ordnance Depot, named for the Umatilla Native American Tribe. Workers transformed the prairie site into a complex of warehouses, munitions magazines, shops, and office buildings connected by a web of paved roads and railroad tracks - essential elements for shipping and receiving. The first ordnance shipment arrived on October 27, 1941. During its more than 70 years in operation, the depot grew to almost 20,000 acres and continued to support World War II, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, and Desert Storm.
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For the entire release, see
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/261908/big-changes-camp-umatilla--
Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org