Trail Officially Axed

Mar 20, 2026 By SCOTT UNGER

The Yamhill Board of Commissioners officially removed the Yamhelas Westsider trail from future county plans on Thursday, March 19. Two-thirds of the board advised the community to move on from the controversial planned 15-mile pedestrian trail.

“The county tried for many years to get this project done. The Land Use Board of Appeals said it’s not passing muster and it just kept costing us more and more money and more and more people filling these rooms and being angry and blaming commissioners,” Commissioner Mary Starrett said. “I just say that there are projects on the table that we can look at and get done, and we need to move ahead, I think, and do that.”

“It’s time to move on.”

Not all community members are ready to do that, however.

Two petitions have been filed by Trails PAC aimed at preserving public use of the former rail corridor and requiring a public vote before any county recreation property can be sold.

Community members could also file a referendum petition to challenge the decision in the next 30 days before the removal takes effect.

Starrett acknowledged there was much emotion involved on both sides of the trail, but said the decision isn’t political and is a result of failed county efforts to meet a farm impact study required to proceed.

The county has been working with the city of Carlton to take ownership of its local portion for a trail and inquiring if the Oregon Department of Transportation is interested in a portion of the corridor that borders Highway 47, which could be used as a utility corridor, Johnston said.

Both plans could help with the $1.7 million the county now must repay ODOT in the next 10 years, stemming from a grant when the trail was purchased.

“It is my intention to make sure that it doesn’t cost the county $1.7 million and to come up with a plan to pay back that grant loan,” Johnston said.

Commissioner Bubba King remained the lone opposition to the removal. He didn’t discuss the decision other than briefly commending private groups such as Cycle Yamhill County for taking the initiative and seeking funding for desired projects.

PUBLIC COMMENTS in the News Register

manyhands

It is frustrating when Mary Starrett and other senior citizens bemoan cost. Because it was Mary and fellow commissioner Lindsay Berschauer who in 2020 killed the trail even though construction of a bridge had already begun. They also returned hefty private donations and a $1.5 million grant to the state! They also spent taxpayer money to tear down the the start of the bridge! NOW state park and rec is offering 1.6 million grants for trail projects. Yamhelas would qualify. If you can't envision this project all you have to do is take a look at all the beautiful trails across the country to see it's very doable. Lack of imagination can break us. The ability to imagine can make us.

02:01 pm - Sun, January 25 2026

Garden Variety

To anyone thinking "the county isn't ready to build this trail...Perhaps in the future" if the commissioners decide to remove the land from the Transportation Plan, that will free them to sell off bits of it and that will be the end of any trail anytime in Yamhill County because the contiguous parcel will be gone and will not be doable again.

We own that land now and it costs nothing to keep it and preserve it for the future.

02:41 pm - Mon, January 26 2026

Otis

It's scary to testify in person at these meetings. Yes...those that spoke were very close to an even split on this issue.

However, the one thing the paper failed to mention is the HUGE amount of written testimony submitted to the board:

Right now, there are 380 letters for KEEPING the trail and only 80 letters for trail removal.

There is massive public support for this project.

We like trails. We want more of them. Not less.

07:03 am - Tue, January 27 2026

LieslForve

The County Commissioners gave up their efforts to resolve the LUBA issues with the trail after the 2020 election. There is zero chance of success when you stop pursuing a goal. We all know this and we “emotional” stakeholders will now pursue our options to keep this asset. The alternatives mentioned by Kit are not replacements for a transportation corridor. They should be pursued along with the trail in question.

05:03 pm - Fri, March 20 2026