Washington County reviews proposed Salmonberry Trail governance, budgets and next steps

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ore. — Washington County commissioners on July 15 reviewed a proposed change to the governance of the Salmonberry Trail corridor, discussed a draft memorandum of understanding (MOU) that staff plan to bring back this summer, and heard a presentation from the Salmonberry Trail Foundation on project status and community benefits.

The briefing focused on administrative arrangements for the long-planned Salmonberry Trail, which follows an 84-mile former rail corridor from Banks to Tillamook and includes about 27 miles inside Washington County. Deonmi Ballantyne, Washington County Transportation Planning Section Manager, said the current Salmonberry Trail Intergovernmental Agency (STIA) intergovernmental agreement is set to expire in September and staff are seeking direction on a proposed governance shift and the county’s role going forward.

The proposed shift would make the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) the administrative sponsor for the corridor: OPRD would assume responsibility for administering the rail-banking agreement and the corridor lease, and would convene a new sponsor committee (referred to in drafts as a Salmonberry Trail Council) that would include existing STIA members with some adjustments. Ballantyne said the Salmonberry Trail Foundation would be a member of that council and continue serving as a fiscal agent, fundraiser and volunteer coordinator on segments of the corridor.

Ballantyn…