State officials will meet in Salem on April 5 to plan the development of the Salmonberry Trail

SALEM – The Salmonberry Trail Intergovernmental Agency (STIA) will hold a board meeting on Friday, April 5 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Classroom Conference Room at the ODFW HQ Office, located at 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE, Salem, Ore.

The meeting will open with a work session to continue the STIA long range strategic plan discussion, which was started at the February 1 STIA meeting. 

Topics on the rest of the business agenda include discussions on the planned new nonprofit to replace the Tillamook Forest Heritage Trust’s role in funding, development and general support, and potential partners in trail development in their respective communities along the Salmonberry Trail.

The general public is invited to attend, with public comment opportunities to be held during the meeting.

It remains to be seen how active two new elected officials, Jerry Willey, Washington County Commissioner for District 4, and Tiffiny Mitchell, State Representative for Oregon House District 32, will be in the development of the Salmonberry Trail.

Willey said he will attend the April 5 meeting in Salem in an email; Washington County has also sent Dyami Valentine, Washington County Senior Transportation Planner to many meetings, and he was one of three conveners of the Valley Segment Advisory Committee, a group that helped plan the portion of the Salmonberry Trail that lies in Washington County.

Mitchell did not return a Monday email or phone call for this article.

Willey’s predecessor, Bob Terry, attended most STIA meetings, while Mitchell’s legislative predecessor, Deborah Boone, was rarely seen or heard from during STIA meetings.

The Salmonberry Trail Intergovernmental Agency was established in 2015 as a framework of government agencies, including the Oregon Department of Forestry, Washington County, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and more. It is the government entity responsible for promoting and leading planning, development and maintenance of the proposed Salmonberry Trail.

For more information, contact Dennis Wiley, Salmonberry Trail project manager, at 503-986-0723 or by email at dennis.wiley@oregon.gov. Individuals that need special accommodations to attend should contact Dennis Wiley at least three days prior to the meeting, according to a news release from the Tillamook Forest Heritage Trust.

Salmonberry Magazine staff will be at the meeting, tweeting information as it happens.