The conundrum surrounding our region’s 33-mile railroad line is effectively summed up by Clark County Councilor Glen Yung, who said, “As of right now, there is no moving forward.”
Locomotives, of course, are only useful when they are moving forward. They can provide economic benefits and in many cases are more environmentally responsible than transporting freight by road.
But Clark County has the equivalent of a locomotive stuck on the tracks, limiting the potential benefits and creating more problems than it solves. The railroad line that runs from the Port of Vancouver to Chelatchie has been an albatross more than an economic engine, generating questions about its current operation and its future.
“We must find ways to increase jobs for all, and especially for the thousands who still commute across the bridge and therefore have to pay Oregon tax,” Clark County Councilor Karen Bowerman said. “We must remain flexible, creative and cooperative in the future to identify effective ways to support economic development.”
But plans for development along the rail line have been met with opposition from nearby residents and environmental groups. And the county council has been idling.
This month, councilors voted against spending $100,000 for a consultant to develop regulations for 400 railroad-adjacent acres along Highway 503. The land is zoned for rail-dependent industrial use, a designation that was signed into Washington law in 2017 and impacts only the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad and a short-line railroad in Okanogan County.
Therein lies the problem. While there would be benefits to economic development along the railroad in Clark County, there are few examples of such development in Washington. And there is little reason to believe that industries are clamoring to build facilities next to Clark County’s railroad.
The railroad’s origins trace to 1888; for most of its history, it primarily transported wood products from northeast Clark County to Vancouver. Since a major lumber mill closed in 1979, there have been no major industrial clients for the railroad, which was purchased by the county in the 1980s.
Those problems are compounded by recent controversies surrounding the operation of what is now the Portland Vancouver Junction Railroad.
In March, the state Department of Ecology found that the railroad had unlawfully discharged polluted material into state waters. Meanwhile, neighbors have lodged additional complaints about perceived environmental violations. All of that adds up to stagnation within the county council, and the issues should be addressed separately.
One question is whether the railroad can, indeed, be an economic driver. Manufacturing along the rail line could provide jobs and help diversify the local economy, but there is no certainty that businesses are eager to build in the area. In addition, the industries that depend on rail are likely to draw opposition from residents.
Questions about the railroad’s current operator fall into a different category. Officials from the Portland Vancouver Junction Railroad routinely have responded to complaints with intransigence and little effort to work with county officials and local citizens.
County councilors are not experts in economic development or railroad operations. They are not expected to be; they are expected to ask probing questions and seek out experts when necessary.
Because of that, hiring a consultant to examine the county’s railroad would be a wise investment and could help the county move forward.
