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Tri-Cities National Historical Park officials highlight B Reactor tours and community partnerships
Summary
Becky Burghart outlined the Manhattan Project National Historical Park's community partnerships, the three-site structure, education programming and plans for B Reactor reopening; she said B Reactor tours attract roughly 15,000 visitors and park outreach reaches about 3,000 people annually.
Becky Burghart, representing the Tri-Cities National Park Committee and the National Park Service partnership at Hanford, briefed the Pasco City Council on the Manhattan Project National Historical Park's local role and outreach.
Burghart said the Manhattan Project National Historical Park (established in 2015) preserves and interprets nationally significant sites tied to the World War II atomic-weapons program. She described the park's three-site nature — Hanford (B Reactor and other Hanford sites), Los Alamos and Oak Ridge — and emphasized that the Tri-Cities portion is a partnership with the Department of Energy and community organizations such as the Reach Museum and WSU Hanford History Project.
She told council that when the B Reactor tours are operating during a normal season they draw about 15,000 visitors, and the park reaches roughly 3,000 community members annually through education and outreach programs. Burghart outlined collaborative initiatives with Visit Tri-Cities and WSU to develop curricula, digital resources and promotional materials to broaden community awareness and school-based programming. She also noted the B Reactor is closed for a large roof project and staff are planning for a future ribbon-cutting and reopening.
Council members asked about measuring economic impact and possible ways the city could support promotions; Burghart said the park is open to partnership opportunities, including grant-funded tasks under a master cooperative agreement.
The presentation was informational; council members voiced support and asked staff to consider ways to help promote the park's programs locally.
