An 86-mile bike and walking trail between the Portland metro area and the Oregon Coast is one step closer to becoming a reality.
The has given the project $30,000 to look at the economics and health benefits of turning the old Port of Tillamook Bay rail line into a trail.
“The idea would be in places where it’s still feasible to have the rail be there, but to have the trail right next to it," said Doug Decker with the .
"In other places, there’s a stretch across the top of the Oregon Coast Range, you know storm damage, bridges out, trestles broken, rails in the river, that kind of thing. That’s not a place where you’re going to want to put rails back," said Decker.
The trail isn’t likely to take shape for a while. It took 30 years to establish the Banks Vernonia Linear Trail, which is a former rail corridor.
Copyright 2020 EarthFix. To see more, visit .
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/79ab58a/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Fqar8ff5gftcxosxe8zuj.jpg)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/76753fb/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Fe940xds59kukt848ysth.jpg)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/adec2b6/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Fboun0yg5rik5mahxvo6u.jpg)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5fa9fb8/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Fewrl8sgg7hy4ap7sci9k.jpg)
![<p>A portion of the planned Salmonberry Corridor trail.</p>](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b2efc5e/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Fstzfpaxv8fd3jh20mpjy.jpg)
A portion of the planned Salmonberry Corridor trail.
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b84119b/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Fbxs0bws37x0j1hkyyw6j.jpg)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f6bdfe2/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Fz730aort96zovg9pkrno.jpg)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5e27ba9/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Fz1bnw1gvouzmpookqcwa.jpg)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/73cc86a/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Fn1zpdnivqlazju4nyp96.jpg)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7523edb/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Ffeyk1zjviziobxrvbkxl.jpg)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c76c52c/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Flnz6y0s3zknrmiz5xpp8.jpg)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/95e1dc2/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Frt0oiyjczsxrjxjdfixy.jpg)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/329a6f9/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Fre4yrrd5tnsaekfs2fiy.jpg)
![<p>Recently-retired forester John Barnes</p>](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6b1118b/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Fgnzmyjl5if1foiq44t0o.jpg)
Recently-retired forester John Barnes
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/00f668b/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Frrxhqjjueduqdb8yzry4.jpg)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ee85823/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Fw3agtv0j3dzputjbhycl.jpg)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9b05932/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Fc1tvon3kj0cxcvcr8qoy.jpg)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bca0b95/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Fbxtgm2on4pjnsfduuosf.jpg)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/797f395/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Ftel4lqynngw9w0e7mzke.jpg)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4a80314/2147483647/strip/true/resize/880x^/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opb.org%2Fimages%2Fupload%2Fc_limit%2Ch_480%2Cq_90%2Cw_620%2Fkueo9dptltna9he9nz7t.jpg)