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Landowners warn railroad may remove crossings; commissioners say county has not received formal notice
Summary
Residents told the commissioners that railroads are offering $5,000 buyouts to landowners to remove crossings and may remove crossings regardless of sign-up; commissioners said Treasure County has no official notice and urged affected landowners to bring documented requests if crossings are needed for fire access or public roads.
Multiple residents raised concerns that railroad companies are offering landowners $5,000 to sign agreements allowing crossings to be removed and that, in some cases, the railroad will proceed even if landowners do not sign. One resident summarized the outreach: "you can sign up for it and get paid $5,000 if you want a crossing taken out," and said the proposed agreements appeared to waive future rights to pursue claims against the railroad.
Commissioners responded that Treasure County had not received formal notices or documents regarding planned removals and reminded the public that the county must be formally notified if a public road or county right-of-way is affected. Commissioners encouraged landowners who rely on crossings for fire access to bring evidence or request the county's involvement so the board can consider specific crossings individually rather than issuing a blanket letter.
