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Editor-
On March 14, the California Coastal Commission (“Commission”) held a meeting in Sacramento, California, during which it discussed plans to object to the Federal Railroad Administration’s (“FRA”) loan of $21.9 million to Mendocino Railway (“MRY”) to allow MRY to repair its collapsed tunnel, make other line improvements, and resume providing through-freight and passenger service to the people and businesses of Fort Bragg and Willits, California. Not only would this loan create new jobs and business opportunities, but it would improve the environment and safety by allowing freight to be shipped by rail rather than by less safe and more polluting trucks via narrow mountainous roads.
The statements by Cassidy Teufel, the Commission’s Deputy Director, revealed that the Commission failed to carefully review the information provided by the FRA, does not understand the scope of MRY’s project (or even the specific location of MRY’s railroad line), and belligerently refuses to respect federal limitations on its authority as a state agency to regulate the operations of federal railroads. These errors could have easily been avoided had the Commission engaged with MRY in good faith discussions instead of ignoring MRY and acting based upon misunderstandings and in an effort to illegally expand its jurisdiction.
The Commission’s discussion revealed that its true goal is not to protect our state’s coastline but to help State Senator Mike McGuire with his vanity project of tearing out Mendocino County’s last link to our national railroad network in favor of a hiking trail that even his Great Redwood Trail Agency (“GRTA”) estimates as likely to be used by as few as 50 people per day. A hiking trail will not benefit the people and businesses of Mendocino County. Nor will tearing out our County’s last link to our national railroad network. The only people who stand to benefit from McGuire’s efforts are his wealthy contributors in Sonoma and Marin County who will have fewer freight train passing their mansions. It is no coincidence that McGuire’s GRTA, and the Commission, have the same Chair: Caryl Hart, one of the wealthy residents of Sonoma County.
In pursuit of these goals, the Commission and its supporters have done their best to falsely portray MRY as nothing but a tourist train. But not only does the Commission’s portrayal ignore MRY’s freight and non-tourist passenger services, and MRY’s longstanding status as a federally regulated common carrier railroad, but it ignores the multi-year effort by the Commission, the GRTA, and their mutual supporters to prevent MRY from repairing its line and resuming providing through- freight and passenger services to the people and businesses of Mendocino County.
In reliance on these many misrepresentations—and despite its receipt of hundreds of letters opposing the Commission’s plans—the Commission voted on March 14 to proceed with its objections to the FRA, thereby aiding Caryl Hart’s and Senator McGuire’s efforts to shut down MRY’s operations and prevent MRY from reopening its tunnel, repair its line, and restore through- freight and passenger service to its community. It should come as no surprise that the GRTA— which as noted is also chaired by Caryl Hart—that same day notified MRY that it is filing a federal application with the United States Surface Transportation Board (“STB”) to compel the abandonment of MRY’s railroad, trying to force an end to almost 140 years of railroad service to the people and businesses of Mendocino County.
These actions and misrepresentations require MRY to clarify four things for the record:
First, the Commission ignores the fact that MRY’s line has provided freight and passenger services in Mendocino County for well over a century, long before the creation of the Commission or even of the Coastal Act. The Commission also ignores the fact that MRY has for two decades been a rail carrier subject to the STB’s exclusive regulatory jurisdiction. Deputy Director Teufel has also falsely suggested in both the Commission’s staff report, and at its hearing, that MRY seeks by its project to expand its railroad operations, when MRY is actually just seeking to restore through- freight and passenger service.
Second, the Commission’s discussion clearly showed that the Commission has not even tried to understand railroad maintenance. Replacing railroad ties does not require digging; rather, a tie exchanger is driven over the tracks and pulls up ties, akin to using a staple remover to remove staples from paper, which are then properly disposed of. None of that activity impacts any coastal resources. What the Commission envisions as foreseeable environmental impacts are based on the Commission’s egregious misunderstanding of routine railroad maintenance, not on how maintenance is actually performed.
Third, as the Commission knows, the FRA fulfilled its NEPA obligations as to MRY’s project by consulting with other federal agencies (such as the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, etc.), and with relevant state and local agencies including the Commission. As the lead agency with the sole authority and responsibility for determining whether MRY’s project risks adversely impacting the environment, the FRA analyzed the gathered information and made a federal determination as to any potential impacts and mitigation measures. After complying with these obligations, the FRA determined that MRY’s project would have “no effect” on California’s coastal resources.
Fourth, as the Commission also knows, the federal Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act of 1995, Pub. L. No. 104-88, 109 Stat. 803 (“ICCTA”), vested the STB with exclusive jurisdiction over federally regulated railroad operations, prohibiting state and local government entities—such as the Commission—from trying to assert their own jurisdiction over the same operations. The Commission is thus prohibited from taking or imposing any actions, restrictions, or remedies that could have an effect on the management or governance of railroad operations. Though the Commission knows this, it does not care; the Commission’s statements establish that that is exactly what the Commission is trying to do. It is deeply troubling that Caryl Hart and the Commission she chairs are trying to misuse the FRA’s NEPA review to indirectly accomplish exactly what federal law prohibits them, and the GRTA, from doing.
If you are as outraged as we are by the Commission’s illegal overreach, by the efforts of Senator McGuire, Caryl Hart, and their GRTA to shut down our railroad and to tear out Mendocino County’s only connection to our nation’s railroad network in favor of a trail likely to be used only by local vagrants and a handful of tourists, by the Fort Bragg City Council’s pretended public support for MRY’s reopening of its tunnel and the resumption of providing through-freight and passenger service (while privately and in closed session doing its best to prevent both), and by the many local jobs that will be lost, and the many local businesses that will suffer, if these groups succeed in shutting MRY down and not only prevent MRY from resuming through-freight and
passenger service but also prevent MRY from continuing to bring over 100,000 visitors each year to our region to spend their money with local hotels, shops, grocers, and restaurants, then now is the time to speak up. If you want MRY to remain in operation to serve our community, we urge you to make your voice heard by speaking up at these groups’ meetings and sending your concerns to them at the following addresses:
California Coastal Commission:
California Coastal Commission
Attn: Kate Huckelbridge, Executive Director 455 Market Street, Suite 300
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 904-5202 Kate.Huckelbridge@coastal.ca.gov
California Coastal Commission Attn: Caryl Hart, Chair
455 Market Street, Suite 300 San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 904-5202 Caryl.Hart@coastal.ca.gov
Great Redwood Trail Agency:
Great Redwood Trail Agency
Attn: Elaine Hogan, Executive Director 419 Talmage Rd # M
Ukiah, CA 95482
(707) 463-3280 Elaine@thegreatredwoodtrail.org
Great Redwood Trail Agency Attn: Caryl Hart, Chair
419 Talmage Rd # M
Ukiah, CA 95482
(707) 463-3280
carylo@me.com
Fort Bragg City Council:
Bernie Norvell, Mayor City of Fort Bragg
416 North Franklin Street Fort Bragg, CA 95437 (707) 961-2823 ext. 145 bnorvell2@fortbragg.com
Jason Godeke, Vice Mayor City of Fort Bragg
416 North Franklin Street Fort Bragg, CA 95437 (707) 961-2823 ext. 147 JGodeke@fortbragg.com
Tess Albin-Smith, Councilmember City of Fort Bragg
416 North Franklin Street
Fort Bragg, CA 95437
(707) 961-2826 ext. 146
talbinsmith@fortbragg.com
Lindy Peters, Councilmember City of Fort Bragg
416 North Franklin Street Fort Bragg, CA 95437
(707) 961-2823 ext. 148
lpeters2@fortbragg.com
Marcia Rafanan, Councilmember City of Fort Bragg
416 North Franklin Street
Fort Bragg, CA 95437
(707) 961-2823 ext. 149
mrafanan@fortbragg.com
Senator Mike McGuire:
Senator Mike McGuire
1021 O St., Suite 8610 Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 651-4002 senator.mcguire@senate.ca.gov
Congressman Jared Huffman:
Congressman Jared Huffman
2445 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5161 Jenny.Callaway@mail.house.gov
Mendocino County Board of Supervisors:
Mendocino County Board of Supervisors 501 Low Gap Road, Room 1010
Ukiah, CA 95482
(707) 463-4221 bos@mendocinocounty.org
-Robert Jason Pinoli
President & CEO – Mendocino Railway
I guessed from the headline who the author of this letter was.
Checking the bottom to make sure it was Pinoli saved me from wasting time reading it.
I wonder what terrible sin our local railroad committed to have come under the control of this man.
Take the trail to the train station!
Far too many people are unaware that Mendocino County is in an accelerating doom loop of our own making. Are they aware of the County’s financial predicament? Do they think the lack of affordable housing won’t affect them? It does and it will as the lack of services grow, from health care to veterinarians to auto repair.
I am of the opinion that opening the railways and developing the mill site will be the spark that ignites a growth in economic opportunities that pay taxes and provide needed services.
Embedded in the Coast is an unthinking, knee-jerk opposition to anything that resembles growth aka economic development. Hoping that life here will always be the same, they are actually participating in bringing about a change for the worse.
The California Coastal Commission is guilty of this behavior as well as well, it seems, ineptness. If they get their way, a redundant environmental review will likely take years as is customary for the CCC. I reckon that is the intent of the CCC.
100 years ago you could take the train from FB to Willits and then south to the SF Bay Area and beyond, for example. Nowadays, that’s not possible. It’s a damn shame.
Instead of investing in public infrastructure, we have asset-stripping, crumbling infrastructure and rampant institutional corruption. This problem is long-term, and deep-seated – both political parties are corrupt as well, so this cannot be solved politically.
Sorry to be a skeptic, but even if they rebuild the FB-Willits segment, it will be a rip-off, way over-priced. I’m not going to worry about it, it’s a scam like most things nowadays. Let the crooks argue among themselves, it won’t make any difference to local residents.
Jonny,
For what its worth I’ll introduce myself. My name is Chris Hart and I am VP of the parent company of Mendocino Railway. I have tried to improve the Skunk Train for 20 years and our company has invested $30 million dollars over the years.
My brother led a group that bought the Sierra Railroad in 1994 when it was down to just 2 employees. I soon joined him, along with other lifelong California friends. We saved the Sierra and then several other branches. We feature freight, passenger and tourist operations, along with being at the forefront of environmental issues in the railroad industry.
While I have worked on the Skunk Train for 20 years, I only recent moved to Fort Bragg 2 years ago. I have a pretty open door policy and am happy to talk about things.
You may or may not like what we offer or think it overpriced, but I certainly would challenge your mention of scam or crooks.
I absolutely feel this matters to residents. I think we are one of the regions biggest economic drivers but we are being endlessly held back by a vocal minority and commissioners who don’t give 2-bits of concern for this area. Ultimately you may decide you still don’t like us, but know that our success or failure will have an impact.
Please don’t take it personally Chris, the corruption I mention is institutional, and part of the political and business culture. I wish you luck on making money on this deal, but I have zero faith it will restore train transportation infrastructure to a wider network. Even if it did, the price would be a total rip-off. Other countries seem to be able to offer high-quality, extensive networks of train infrastructure at low prices, but not here.
Appreciate the comments, Jonny. It may take time, but I am more optimisitic. For the Sierra branch where we started we are now having tremendous success, but it took us 2 decades to achieve it. Restoring a proper rail network in this area will require time and overcoming huge hurdles, but it is doable and I believe worth it for both our company and the region.
I just don’t see why local political leaders are so ready to give up on rail when you can see the success of SMART just across the county line and the economic and environmental success of rail nationally. Perhaps the project will take too long for it to happen during their term, so why try!
I live north of Sacramento but have been visiting the Mendocino Coast since the early 1970’s. I also retired as a conductor on the Southern (Union) Pacific Railroad so I know a thing or two about rail traffic. Mr. Pinoli makes some assertions that are just not true (yet). The Northwestern Pacific Line between Willits and Cloverdale is inoperable and will be for quite some time (years). So there is no connection to the national rail network thus there is zero chance of operating rail freight service. Thus in the real world, The Skunk train is primarily a tourist railroad and will be thus for the foreseeable future. My opinion is that Mr. Pinoli makes these “common carrier” freight railroad noises so that he can claim local government has no say in how the railroad operates.
As for the California Coastal Commission, that is a real head scratcher and certainly a reach. Their own policy only allows jurisdiction up to 5 miles from the Coast. So what they are complaining about is the restoration of Tunnel #1. Really? That’s all ya got? Their own mandate states in part:
“. . . address issues such as shoreline public access and recreation, lower cost visitor accommodations, terrestrial and marine habitat protection, visual resources, landform alteration, agricultural lands, commercial fisheries, industrial uses, water quality, offshore oil and gas development, transportation, development design, power plants, ports, and public works.”
So unless restoring Tunnel #1 degrades the fisheries and water quality, then I can only suspect their hanging their argument on the term “public works” which the railroad is not. Now don’t get me wrong, the Coastal Commission does have the authority to review federal projects and a federal loan for restoration would fall within their purview if it is within that 5-mile coastal zone.
In summary, Mendocino Railway is doing a lot of complaining but does not help their argument if they misstate the facts. The Coastal Commission is grasping at straws making much ado over tunnel restoration. I believe the entire line restoration will be a net positive for the area and will do it’s part to increase tourism in the area.
Dear Bruce,
Mendocino does carry freight within our line, but we just can’t carry freight currently to the interstate rail system. In 2006 we bid to operate the NWP but were passed by for another operator who never delivered on their promises. And despite them never paying profit share, they were then paid millions to leave. That is whole different story. Bottom line is that if there was a viable operator on that line we believe the line would succeed, and you would be able to carry passengers and freight from Marin to Mendocino.
To better understand the Coastal Commission you need to look at leadership. The Coastal Commission is chaired by Caryl Hart. The Great Redwood Trail (the same entity that had the NWP) is the one wanting to convert the line from train to just trail. Ironically, they are fine with trail & track in Sonoma and Marin, but not Mendocino. So, the chair of the GRT is the same Caryl Hart. She is using the Coastal Commission to hold off our railroad from reopening the tunnel. Meanwhile, GRT just filed paperwork that they want to challenge our railroad because of we haven’t repaired our tunnel. She uses these commissions as her plaything for whatever agenda she may have.
Chris
PS I’m VP of Sierra Railroad that is the parent company of Mendocino Railway. I’ve worked in the railroad industry for 25 years. Our company is California based and run by lifelong Californians. Be happy to talk to you further if you like.
These guys don’t pull any permits, operate a train on tracks designed for short logging cars, don’t run anything that is federally regulated then cry they are under fed jurisdiction lol. Cry me a polluted river train… you guys cut the rails off a hundred feet back from the tunnel, made last trestle a pedestrian path, then say you will fix tunnel?? Ok. lol
Trainny,
Mendocino Railway is regulated and inspected on a regular basis by both State and Federal inspectors. In addition, we refrequently work with other organizations, including ones like the Department of Water Resources and the Department of Toxic Substances. The issue here isn’t whether we need permits or are inspected, but which entities get to do it. The City of Fort Bragg wants powers that do not exist in any other community with rail. The Coastal Commission wants additional review, even though the project has had its enivornmental review and the CCC gave its views. They just don’t like the results.
Finally, that pedestrian path could be modified in a few days time. Not a big deal.
Thank you for the fact checking these naysayers. I hope this rail project gets off the ground. This is the voice we need. I also hope Smart rail eventually makes its way to Humboldt via Mendocino.
Karma for trying to steal Johnny mayers property.
To understand the bigger picture, there is a group of shippers and private citizens called the “North Coast Rails with Trails” hows goal is to reopen the Legacy Northwestern Pacific RR. from Willits to Cloverdale. Cal Western is a big part of these plans because it will re-connect them to the National Railroad Network. Additionally, they may in fact become the operator of this segment and offer a seamless avenue for freight and passenger operation thru Mendocino Co. The goal is to provide reduced shipping costs and fulfill the States mandate under SB 350 to reduce Green House Gases (GHG) back to 1990 levels when both the MRY and the NWP co-existed. The biggest source of pollution in Mendocino County right now are trucks on SR 1, SR 20 and US 101. As far as I know, no one in Mendocino has made a move to reduce the Carbon footprint in the County. Railroads contribute 2% of the all of the GHG emissions in the entire Country to give you an idea how efficient trains are. One gallon of diesel fuel will move one ton of freight 490 miles and one railroad car carries four times what a truck hauls. Mendocino Co. has a National Reputation of environmentalists and environmental leadership. Time for these folks to come out and support an environmental project. The California Coastal Commission is completely off “track” with their proposal and Sen. McQuire is as well because he has not led efforts to reduce the carbon foot print of the County by eliminating GHG. Shame on him!
Well said, Mike.
Mike I agree with you, and although the old line from Willits to Cloverdale is impossible to rebuild along the sensitive river if there is going to be a long distance high speed rail from Sac to S Cali I am sure tracks can reside along Hwy 101 in areas they have not been before. And yes many people from Humboldt and Mendo drive their gas cars or gas charged electric vehicles in many cases solo long distances which also adds a lot of pollution carbon into the air like trucks.
The Russian River runs from Cloverdale to Holpand and then veers away from the tracks. The Northwestern Pacific Railroad was built over 120 years ago and when the railroad ran, it was a good steward of the land just like Mendocino Railways. In the Canyon, railroad provided for culverts, bridges and bulkheads to prevent yearly floods from discharging mud and other debris in the River. The reason was to protect the railroad grade from washing away. Because of this the entire right of way is intact except for a washout 3 miles north of the County Line at Preston.
Ummm.. Well ya see, the railroad has to have a right of way that is less than 3% grade which Highway 101 has too many steep grades. The NWP was constructed before the highway and the route they chose is actually the best route for a railroad between Cloverdale and Willits. And Mike is correct that other than the single wash out, the right of way is largely intact. Now if you are suggesting they construct a bunch of tunnels and bridges to get around the 3% grade well that is going to cost a fortune (which is also a problem for hi-speed rail construction in mountain terrain)
All of this bickering and no comment from anyone about the rail trail and the future of walking next to a train? Wow that sounds so relaxing!
This is all the biggest bs and all the comments want this big train expansion when clearly this isn’t what the local public gives 2 shits about.
Will your train bring in doctors and specialists to the area? Or will homeless people camp along side your tracks?
I think there are 2 topics. First, the main focus of the article is the existing railroad between Fort Bragg and Willits. The loan would be used to improve the existing track that is in use now.
Second, there is a section of track between Cloverdale to Willits that is owned by the Great Redwood Trail Authority, formerly named the North Coast Railroad Authority until they decided to change things up. Rather than repairing the line – or giving anyone else a chance – they want to put a trail on top of the C-W tracks. Many of us feel this is a very short sighted move cutting off Mendocino and beyond from rail, rather than putting the trail next to the track (like the GRT is doing in Sonoma and Marin).
With passenger rail yes you might have an easier time getting doctors and specialists or at least getting to them. Sonoma and Marin use this line further to the south for SMART with connections to Cloverdale. Meanwhile, Mendocino is being permanently left out if the GRT get their way. Forever blocks passenger rail and makes Mendocino and beyond depend on trucks for goods. Mendocino Railway is now being attacked by Sonoma resident and GRT Chairwoman Caryl Hart for opposing them.
The same Caryl Hart is also Chairwoman of the Coastal Commission and she is using that agency to also attack Mendocino Railway.
Great point by Chris Hart, (BTW, NO relation to Caryl Hart, Ex. Dir. of the Coastal Commission.) As Note by others, she is also Ex. Dir. of the Great Redwood Trail (GRT), Sen. McQuires creation. Folks should know in order to create the GRT, he wrote legislation to dissolve the North Coast Rail Authority. This simply removed the agency that stood in his way to build a trail that will cost over $1 million or more mile. The lower end of the legacy Northwestern Pacific RR (NWP) is now SMART Commuter rail with a trail next to it. North Coast Rails with Trails Coalition simply wants to make sure the GRT continues to exist next to the railroad from Cloverdale to Willits so the Coalition Plan can go forward with rails and trails coexisting. Mc Quire has tried thru the Surface Transportation Board, a Federal agency with jurisdiction over Railroads to force abandonment the Cal Western in order to sever the connection with the NWP. The Board said NO. So know, McGuire has the Calif. Coastal Comm. doing his dirty work thru Ex. Dir. Caryl Hart. Surely a conflict of interest here since she is also Ex. Dir. of the GRT.! Now you can see the connection and why they don’t want see $21 million already earmarked to California Western by the Fed. Gov’t to rebuild the line and return to service. Without the NWP, from Cloverdale to Willits, there would NO connection to the National Rail Network and traffic from Cal Western could not be shipped to customers anywhere across the Nation. Both carriers need to survive together. The big winner in his is the public with a huge reduction in the carbon footprint and GHG in Mendocino County which also satisfies Sen. Bill 350, and rolls back emissions to 1990 levels with ultimate goal of slowing or stopping climate change.
1.
Don’t you think that MRY’s (CWR) claim that Caryl Hart is “attacking” MRY AND acting in an unethical manner demands some type of substantiation and corroboration?
Consistently repeating the same claim without any sort of evidence lends toward any easy perception that MRY may be attempting to smear an official and/or throwing a not so well veiled tantrum.
Amongst the citizenry it’s akin to bullying and/or whining.
Not saying that’s MRY’s intent, though maybe it is.
It’s entirely on MRY to back up the claim or it’ll start to sour in the direction of spurious.
If you have said evidence, then it seems obvious to make a move, such as a motion to demand recusal due to conflict of interest and/or share said evidence publicly.
2.
How does the MRY substantiate this claim:
“…continuing to bring over 100,000 visitors each year to our region…”
Is it MRY’s claim that MRY is the Main Attraction for 100k visitiors/year reason for visiting our region?
Or, that 100k people rode the Skunk per year prior to the tunnel collapse?
An average of 273 people per day, really?
Are you sure?
We all know MRY isn’t “actually carrying” anyone “into” the region.
3.
Will MRY require continued oversight (babysitting and disciplining) such as cleanup and abatement orders in order to know when erosion controls are needed, NOT JUST REQUIRED BY LAW, to prevent discharges into salmonid bearing waterways?
Over a generational time scale, salmonids are far more critical to human survival than railroads or short term profits of any sort.
4.
The FRA isn’t likely to protect FB’s DRINKING water source from further degradation.
If it takes the CCC to do so, then hooray for FB.
5.
Personally, I’d really like to see the rail corridor open from Cloverdale to Willits at the minimum, but the link to FB has obvious benefit, as long as trading clean water and salmonids are OFF THE TABLE, or any other unreasonable “take”.
That would open Mendo and the Coast to the SMART option leading to Cal-Train connections in the Bay.
6.
Would MRY attempt to sacrifice the public health & the environmental commons for it’s own solvency, as is so “normal” amongst the childishly naive or sociopathic willful disregard exhibited by many as business as usual & the false premise of Manifest Destiny that persists to this day?
What are the values of the MRY Board?
Will our grandchildren subsidize MRY profits today?
7.
What businesses/industries are “expected” to take advantage of rail service?
What’re the real commercial & industrial use stats & track record from before the tunnel collapse?
Where are the industrial spurs & terminals?
Noyo harbor?
Harris and Granite quarries?
8.
The efficiencies achieved by modern rail transport, which are VERY significant in contrast to long-haul trucking and akin to using barges on Navigable Rivers for Mass transport, is heavily dependent on the use of Diesel-Electric Locomotives and the logistical management options available due to large bulk orders for major industry and regional demands by having those industries and support infrastructure present, such as spur lines, railheads, loops, parallels, yards, terminals, etc.
Does MRY intend to deploy Diesel-Electrics in the future?
Does MRY have access to local industry with the necessary support infrastructure for rail access?
Non Fiction,
1. I’ll start by pointing out that commissions have little oversight or accountability. Other than suing these deep pocket monoliths, they don’t report to anyone. Our company is facing not one, but two commissions, both chaired by the same person. You tell me if the following sounds right. A key obstacle for the GRTA to build their trail is our railroad that I think reasonably advocates for both trail & rail to exist between C and W. We have been shut down hard and the GRTA has told us they will not consider such an option, even though they’re doing it for Sonoma & Marin. To then get us out of the way, Caryl Hart’s GRTA is challenging our railroad’s status due to a tunnel problem. Meanwhile, Caryl Hart’s Coastal Commission has delayed the very funds we expected in 2021 to repair that tunnel. Yes, they have delayed us for 3 years. I am convinced she is using the CC to further her GRTA’s goals.
USA Today ranked our tourist operation as the #3 operation in the US. We have had, and are getting, 100,000 visitors a year, in addition to our freight traffic. This is a combination of our Fort Bragg and Willits operations. And yes, I am sure.
As we approach 140 years of operation, our company is not focused on short-term profits. If so, we would not have invested $30 million into Mendocino County during the past two decades. Further, we I think we have been a good steward of the right of way and we have done some excellent partnership projects in the last few years.
There are a host of departments involved with this project with years of review. And if the City had any real concern, why haven’t they spoken to our company once about this issue? Not once.
It isn’t an easy task, but it could be great.
We take environmental issues seriously. Our companies are at the forefront of helping lower emissions in the railroad industry. We are building the state’s first hydrogen locomotive and our CEO received an award in the White House for being a champion for change with environmental issues. We were also the first railroad in CA to use biodiesel on a regular basis.
I’m not going to subject potential shippers to harassment.
Our railroad is one of the greenest in the state. Our companies have the largest tier 3 emissions locomotives in CA. As mentioned before, we have the first hydrogen locomotive. And while many railroads are trying to avoid the Governor’s CARB mandates, our company is at the forefront of making it happen.
PS Sorry, but my numbering seemed to dissapear in my response. I hope you could follow the #s I was responding to.
Chris and Robert,
First off, I want to thank you for being open to more dialog with the public in this forum at least. I think the Skunk is incredibly valuable to Mendocino County and should be supported by the public. It would be incredible to reopen the tunnel and resume some service from Ft. Bragg to Willits and it is unfortunate that the Coastal Commission would get in the way of a loan.
That being said, you guys have not exactly endeared yourselves to a lot of the community and I think you would have a lot more supporters with a different, less imperious, approach. I cannot understand why you attempted to pull eminent domain outside Willits with the Mayer (I think) property. That really pissed a lot of people off and did you no favors, publicity wise. Furthermore, claiming to be capable of transporting freight between Ft. Bragg and Willits is seen as dishonest. Could you at some point in the future? Yes, and that would be an accomplishment. But there has been no freight moved, even before the tunnel collapse, and people know this. It is fair to say that at present, and since you took over CWR, that you have been a tourist operation.
Currently the train only provides tourist experiences for 4 miles (or so) from either end. You could be running from Willits to Northspur, but Northspur partly burned down and you abandoned it. Imagine how much more support you would have if you reopened and packed the train with more local patrons. Instead, the cold calculation seems to be that your main client base are train buffs who will pay anything to check off a box on their bucket list, and therefore it is not worth running a longer excursion. Meanwhile, most Bay Area families are not aware that the Skunk exists a few short hours away. I believe you’re missing out on some business opportunities that would do a lot for the local economy and build goodwill as well.
It would go a long way to do some real public relations work to boost your local goodwill. You might consider sitting down with some of the local papers, while they still exist, and doing a wide ranging interview where you address some of these positions and past debacles. If people really understood your vision and love of the community and the train (which I genuinely believe Robert at least has), it might change people’s perception of you. Chris, it is interesting to hear that you have in fact moved to Ft. Bragg and are open to conversation. Perhaps you should buy some rounds now and then and try to win over some locals.
Hi Art,
I just saw your comment and your support for our efforts to reopen our tunnel. You raise a few questions that I think I should address:
Eminent domain outside of Willits: The situation we faced at the time was quite urgent. Senator McGuire and his trails group were trying to tear out the NWP (the only link we, and all of Mendocino County, has to our nation’s railroad network). Their plans included eliminating our Willits yard and thus our ability to store and work on our equipment. We tried to find a location that would be large enough for our needs, finding the Meyer property. Here we had a very willing seller who wanted to make an agreement; the property was commercial and he was only using it for storing derelict equipment and a potential future pot farm. After he doubled and tripled the price during discussions, and started dumping tons of dirt onto the property (you have seen this mountain of earth that threatens both our railroad and the adjacent creek, right?), we had to move quickly and, as any other public utility would have done in the same circumstances, used eminent domain to try to buy the property at its independently appraised fair market value. While eminent domain upsets some, it’s the reality of running a public utility.
You say that we are dishonest to claim that we transport freight. But we have always—and even after the collapse of our tunnel—provided freight and non-tourist passenger services. They are in many cases the only way to get people and materials to and from the homes, cabins, and youth camps along our line. They are also often the only way to get equipment and personnel into the forest for projects that help preserve those forests, rivers, and the species that live in both. They are also useful to help get firefighting teams and equipment, and the police, where they are needed. Restoring full freight on our line would move a lot of trucks off our local highways, which would not only make those highways far safer but would also be far more environmentally friendly. The rumor that we have no freight service is one spread by the City Council (after they realized that the City’s approval of our purchase of the mill site might not bode well for them come reelection time) and Caryl Hart (a wealthy Sonoma landowner who chairs both the Coastal Commission and McGuire’s trail agency and wants to shut us down, and cut Mendocino County off from our national railroad network, for her own purposes).
Our inability to run longer train trips isn’t because we believe our customers don’t want such a trip, but because the Coastal Commission and the City Council have done their best to block our efforts to obtain the funding we need to reopen our tunnel and to make other improvements to our line. Had they not spent the past four years blocking our repairs, we could have made them long ago and again offered those longer trips you want. And don’t be so hasty to write off the tourists that visit our line. While riding through the redwoods may not interest you, those tourists (who amount to nearly 20x the population of Fort Bragg each year) seem to enjoy it. They also spend far more with other local businesses—the shops, gas stations, supermarkets, stores, hotels, and restaurants—than they do with us. It’s not just our employees who depend on them for their livelihoods, but many other local businesses and their employees as well.
But we don’t just cater to employees. We offer local fares and rates for our experiences. We support numerous local charities and fundraising events. And we make our property available to many of them for their events. We have also done our best to prepare a development plan for the mill site that reflects what our community said, during 20 years of public meetings, that it wanted there: green space, affordable housing, community gathering spaces, etc. In fact, before the City Council decided to wage its senseless war on us, the City Council said our plan “looked good” to everyone who saw it. Our efforts to finally make something of the mill site for our community only ended when the City unilaterally ended its development process and told us we would have to start over again from scratch (for no apparent reason).
You also say that Bay Area families aren’t aware we are here. Yet we’re the #3 most popular tourist railroad in America (per USA Today in 2023) and, as mentioned above, bring 100,000 visitors to our community and local businesses each year. The majority of these visitors say our railroad is the primary reason they even visit our community, so what happens to the many local residents who cater to those visitors if our City Council and the Coastal Commission succeed in shutting us down? I suspect it won’t just be our business that shuts down.
Finally, I certainly agree with you the need to talk to the local organizations, newspapers, and members of the public who will listen to us. We have been doing so for years. But even with documents and proof, most people seem to prefer to just believe the unsupported lies of people who claim to know us but have never even spoken with us or checked their facts before asserting lies about us. Most simply aren’t interested in the truth.
As I do on a regular basis, I would be happy to meet with you anytime over a coffee or a beer to discuss. You can reach me at christopher@sierrarailroad.com Best regards,
Chris