LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) - Cowlitz County’s plan to turn an old Washington state railroad into a trail connecting Longview and Toutle has hit a roadblock.
The Daily News reported (https://bit.ly/2wr3eCy ) Wednesday that the former operator of the railroad still owns land along the line and has stated it won’t allow the route to be turned into a “rails to trails” project for safety reasons.
Weyerhaeuser Co. Woods Railroad spokesman Anthony Chavez said the timber company works too closely to the rails to make them suitable for a biking or hiking path.
Chavez says timber operations could start on any given day since there is a diverse age of trees along the 22 miles (35 kilometers) of abandoned railroad.
Cowlitz County Building and Planning Director Elaine Placido said negotiations haven’t officially started yet, despite the company’s refusal.
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Information from: The Daily News, https://www.tdn.com
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