Salmonberry Trail Intergovernmental Agency Meeting set for April 6 in Tillamook

Tillamook – The Salmonberry Trail Intergovernmental Agency (STIA) will hold a board meeting in the Officers’ Mess Hall at the Port of Tillamook Bay offices in Tillamook on Friday, April 6 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Topics on the agenda include an update on the Valley segment of the trail, which runs from Banks through Manning and Timber, fundraising updates, and an update on a Trail Benefits Study that was conducted by researchers at Portland State University.

A notable agenda item is approving a change to the Salmonberry Trail lease agreement with the Port of Tillamook Bay, the owner of the railroad right-of-way.

This agenda item reflects changes approved by the Port at their last board meeting on March 20 after the Port board voted 3-2 in favor of signing a lease agreement with the STIA – a process that had been tabled after concerns were raised by the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad about the future of their existing lease agreement with the Port.

The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad is a nonprofit organization that runs excursion trains along the coastal portions of the Salmonberry right-of-way

“We have always been supportive of OCSR as a valuable and unique asset in Tillamook County,” said Port of Tillamook Bay General Manager Michele Bradley in a statement released on March 21, “and we look forward to working with them to develop and build a trail alongside the existing rail to provide even more opportunities to experience the views that can only be accessed from the rail line. OCSR has offered to help build the trail; and we hope to see that happen. By working together, a trail with rail can enhance the experiences of both residents and visitors.”

There will be an opportunity for public comment at the beginning of the meeting and toward the end of the meeting.

The Salmonberry Trail Intergovernmental Agency is a group established in December 2015 to form a framework of government agencies – including the Oregon Department of Forestry, Washington County, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and others – and is the government entity responsible for promoting and leading planning, development and maintenance of the proposed Salmonberry Trail.

The Officers’ Mess Hall is located at 6825 Officer Row, Tillamook, OR, 97141.

Sources and more information:

Meeting notice from SalmonberryTrail.org
Statement released by PoTB
On-scene reporting from SalmonberryTrail.com editor Chas Hundley at PoTB board meeting