Caroline Fitchett calls the Salmonberry Trail “Oregon’s next big adventure” and considers it the most ambitious rail-to-trail project in the nation. Fitchett is executive director of the Salmonberry Trail Foundation, the nonprofit that’s leading a coalition of government agencies in development of an 82-mile trail that would connect Washington County to the city of Tillamook on the Oregon Coast.
Imagine biking or hiking through wild river valleys and across abandoned timber settlements along a historic railroad line.
I first wrote about the project 11 years ago and it has captured my imagination ever since. Now more than a decade into the planning process, the project has matured nicely. In the past year or so, volunteers have begun to rip out the old railroad tracks, cut back ivy and blackberries, and parts of the trail are even open for guided hikes. This past summer, US Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici hiked the trail and Fitchett says visits from Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley will happen this year.
In my interview with Fitchett, she shares the story about how the project first came about. I had no idea it began with one mom and dad in Tillamook who just wanted a safe place for their kids to ride bikes! We also talk about a few current projects in Rockaway Beach, Tillamook, and Buxton (north of Banks) that will result in the first official pieces of the Salmonberry that will be open for riding and hiking.
(Photos: Salmonberry Trail Foundation)One notable moment in this interview is when I asked Fitchett how she talks about the trail in front of communities who might have some inherent skepticism about it. “I really let them talk about it,” she replied. “We listen… we also share information so they know what our plans are and they have a chance to change those plans.” Fitchett she sees the trail as a neighbor to the communities along it. “We are a neighbor to hundreds of people, to school districts, to watersheds, to the fish and the birds that are along the trail. And so we have to do the best we can to be a good neighbor.”
One ace up the Salmonberry’s sleeve is that all the land needed for the trail is already banked and dedicated to this use. So that saves the organization from having to acquire any rights or easements. “The only thing in our way is planning it appropriately… and raising the money to build it — and figuring out how to maintain it.”
“Only” is doing a lot of work in that sentence for sure. But with the massive political support behind this project and its obvious benefits to Oregon, hopefully we can shorten the estimated timeframes.
When I asked Fitchett the classic “When will this thing be done?” question, she admitted she doesn’t have a good answer. “I tend to say either between 20 and 50 years, or as soon as we have raised the first $50 million I’ll have a very clear answer for you.”
So that’s our marching orders straight from the top, folks. Help the Salmonberry Trail Foundation raise its first $50 million through the federal RAISE grant they plan to apply for in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to SalmonberryTrail.org to get involved, support the grant, sign up for guided hikes, and more.
— Watch my interview with Fitchett above or on our new page, BikePortland.org/YouTube
