On the same day Portland officials learned about nearly a half-billion dollars in federal grants for projects in the Rose Quarter area, trail advocates statewide were also cheering. That’s because on Friday, the U.S. Senate voted in favor of several appropriations bills that included funding for three of Oregons “signature trails” projects.
As BikePortland reported back in August, Senator and Chair of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, Jeff Merkley (D-OR), included $1.3 million in the FY24 Senate Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for three projects that were prioritized by trail advocates statewide: restorations and improvements in the Wenaha sections of the Blue Mountains Trail; new connectors in the Oakridge-Westfir Mountain Bike Trail System, and a detailed planning analysis needed to replace the Eagle Creek Staircase on the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.
All three of the projects are now funded. Below are project descriptions from the nonprofit Oregon Trails Coalition:
- $300,000 for the Blue Mountains Trail will restore access to the beloved Wenaha River Trail #3106 in the Umatilla National Forest in an area highly impacted by the Grizzly Bear Complex Fire. This [15+ mile] trail restoration project will close a major gap in the Blue Mountains Trail.
- $506,923 for the Oakridge-Westfir Mountain Bike Center will construct the Cloverpatch Connector [2.2 miles] and Fugrass Connection trails that will create connected loops in the current mountain bike system and aid in community fire recovery in the Willamette National Forest and nearby communities.
- $400,000 for Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail will provide an alternatives analysis for replacing Eagle Creek Stairs and making this Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area trail segment accessible to users of all ages and abilities.
We are especially excited about the Eagle Creek Staircase project. You might recall that this 1996 infrastructure relic has been a major weak link in the Historic Highway State Trail project for many years. Last summer national disability rights activist Juliette Rizzo visited the stairs in a bid to raise awareness for their replacement.
ODOT officials have said replacing the stairs with a ramp, a project estimated to cost $50 million, will have to wait until all other sections of the State Trail are completed. This new planning money will make the project shovel-ready and greatly increase its chances for getting a construction grant sooner rather than later.
See the PDF below more details on all three funded projects.