Vancouver says no to air museum ownership

Vancouver, WA — U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, will not pursue federal legislation to transfer the Pearson Air Museum from the U.S. Park Service to the city of Vancouver.

 

On Tuesday morning, the Congresswoman learned the Vancouver City Council no longer supported the measure.

 

Casey Bowman, Herrera Beutler’s spokeswoman, said she is “extremely disappointed with the current situation.”

 

“Because the success of this bill hinges largely on the city’s willingness to assume ownership of the property, pursuing HR 716 without the City’s support makes no sense at this time,” Bowman wrote in an email.

 

The Fort Vancouver National Trust, which previously operated the museum, can’t go forward with plans to return to the site if the city decides it doesn’t want to own the property, said Steve Horenstein, chairman of the trust’s board.

 

“The property can’t be transferred to a private nonprofit like the trust,” Horenstein said. “It can only be transferred to the city or another government agency. So there’s nothing else the trust can do.”

 

The city’s decision means the National Park Service will continue to operate the Pearson Air Museum, which it has done since parting ways with the Fort Vancouver National Trust in February 2013 after the two were unable to agree on a range of issues, including what activities and exhibits should be allowed at the museum.

 

Herrera Beutler proposed the legislation, which would have transferred the museum and surrounding 7 acres from the Park Service to the city, with the hopes it would restore the museum to the “wonderful asset it was before this conflict all began nearly two years ago.”