6/24/12
Eliminating the railroad tracks around Humboldt Bay to create a trail will be one of the topics of discussion Tuesday at the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors meeting.
At 9:30 a.m., the board will discuss whether it wants to ask the North Coast Railroad Authority — a group formed by the state Legislature in 1989 to protect rail infrastructure — to support forming a committee to examine the possibility of creating a trail around Humboldt Bay to replace the railroad tracks.
Second District Supervisor Clif Clendenen, who serves as a director on the North Coast Railroad Authority, is bringing the item before the board for discussion on behalf of a citizen group interested in the project. Clendenen said the idea of creating a trail where the rail lines run from Eureka to Arcata and Samoa is an idea that has been around for years.
“It’s a good time to have a good, larger discussion,” Clendenen said. “The rail isn’t being used right now.” According to supporters, the rail lines in Humboldt haven’t been used since 1997. As a way to both protect the rail corridor and make use of it, supporters are proposing to “railbank” the land. Congress created the term “railbanking” in 1983 when it amended the National Trails System Act. When a railroad corridor is railbanked, the land is allowed to be converted into a trail.
What’s special about railbanking, Clendenen said, is that it preserves the railroad’s right-of-way, meaning the trail can be converted back to a railroad in the future.
“Were there ever to be a need for rail again, that reversion would be possible,” Clendenen said.
Supporters are suggesting the right-of-way, which is owned by the North Coast Railroad Authority, be transformed into a paved, multimodal path that could be part of the California Coastal Trail — an under-construction network of public trails stretching along the 1,200mile California coast.
As part of the plan, supporters are also in favor of restoring the rail line from Arcata to Samoa/Fairhaven so a tourist train can be operated on the existing tracks. The idea is that the attraction would support the Timber Heritage Association’s proposed Redwood Heritage Museum in Samoa. The nonprofit association collects equipment and other items pertaining to the North Coast’s logging industry. Some artifacts are currently on display at the Samoa Roundhouse and nearby harbor shops.
Funding for such a plan has yet to be identified, and at this stage the citizen group — comprised of Dennis Rael, Rees Hughes, Judy Hodgson and Don Banducci — is looking to form a committee to figure out how to proceed.
Humboldt County Association of Governments Executive Director Marcella Clem said the citizen group sought support from the HCAOG board Thursday to move forward with the committee idea. The HCAOG board is largely responsible for county transportation projects.
“Our board would like that the individual cities look at it first,” Clem said.
There are concerns about the proposed idea, including any potential impact to the wetlands surrounding the railroad tracks. If this moves forward, Clendenen said, the plan needs to include an alternate plan that addresses what happens to the trail if it reverts to a railroad. If this happens, it needs to be determined whether the trail will simply disappear or be relocated next to the tracks — creating concerns about the need for wetland mitigation.
In addition to discussing future rail plans, the supervisors will likely adopt the final fiscal year 2012-2013 budget.
According to a county staff report, the total county budget up for adoption totals approximately $281.1 million. After the budget hearings June 11, the board directed county staff to add an additional part-time position to the district attorney’s office.
The county administrative office worked with the DA’s office to unfreeze two office assistant positions by utilizing extra-help funding and supplemental funding, according to a staff report. Staff also discovered that a lieutenant position in the sheriff’s department should have been unfrozen but wasn’t. As a result, the final budget is about $420,000 more than the proposed budget.
Changes in grant funding and building maintenance needs contributed to the increase.
For the complete board of supervisors meeting agenda and supporting documents, go online to www.co. humboldt.ca.us/board/ agenda/questys/.
For more information about the Humboldt Bay rail and trail group, go online to www.baytrailplan.org.
