NASELLE — The former Naselle Youth Camp sits eerily silent after after its official closure on Sept. 25. The Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have been equally silent about what, if any, plans lie ahead for the property.

Consisting of about 20 major buildings, plus additional smaller support structures, on an approximately 33-acre site just west of the unincorporated town of Naselle, the facility opened as a reform school in 1966. Millions were invested in the complex, most recently including a $2.3 million appropriation in the 2019-21 state budget.

A victim of changing juvenile-justice philosophies, the camp was repeatedly targeted for closure starting in 2003. However, its abrupt end this year came as something of a surprise after local legislators initially believed they had turned back the latest move to shutter the facility, only to have the closure revived at the end of the legislative session. The camp had 93 employees when it was axed.

As part of the decision to close the camp, the state Legislature directed the DNR, DCYF and Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to conduct an unfunded feasibility study on the facility to determine what comes next.

The study remains under wraps and is earmarked to be completed by Dec. 31, according to DNR Media Forest Practices Communications Manager Natalie Johnson.

One potential option that was first identified when the closure of the camp was announced this spring is whether the facility could become an outdoor educational school for school children. Departing Pacific County Commissioner Frank Wolfe recently suggested converting staff housing into affordable workforce apartments. Yet another local idea is for it to serve as a base for training people to fight wildfires.

“I think the details for what could specifically be included in an outdoor educational facility haven’t been determined,” Johnson said. “The legislature asked DNR and OSPI to report on the feasibility of using the facility for some kind of outdoor education, funding needs for that type of use, and to identify other challenges or opportunities, rather than asking for a concrete plan/curriculum, etc.

“So we are looking at issues like location, the state of repair or most recent use of the buildings, [and] what it might cost to update and maintain the facility among others. We’re working on the report right now, but it’s not finished. When the report is finished and submitted, we’ll be able to talk more about the specifics of what’s in it,” she added.

There is no current time for when a decision will be made, but it’s not expected for at least a few months.

“Once the legislature gets the report, they’ll decide what, if any, action comes next, and which agency will take the lead on any further work at the facility,” Johnson said.