Commissioners eye transfer of Yelm-Rainier-Tenino Trail

The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners is proposing to transfer ownership of a section of the 14.5-mile Yelm-Rainier-Tenino Trail to the City of Yelm.

A public hearing is scheduled for Oct. 20, when the board will unveil plans to have the City of Yelm act as a secondary sponsor, allowing it to operate, upgrade and maintain a 1.6-mile portion of the paved, multi-use rail trail, which consists of five parcels of land.

The plots up for transfer are located along State Route 507 and situated within Yelm’s Urban Growth Area.

The plots were originally bought using a recreation and conservation grant, as well as funding from the Washington State Department of Transportation. The remaining portion of the trail not subject to transfer will remain under the supervision of the county.

Under the interlocal agreement that the two parties have hammered out, the City of Yelm will continue to preserve the properties for public use as an interim trail for nonmotorized travel and recreational purposes. The city may not sell or transfer the properties without authorization from the county.

Completed in 2005, the Yelm-Rainier-Tenino Trail traced the old railroad track that was last functional in the mid-1980s.

The agreement also stipulates that the county will be entitled to compensation should any of the properties be used for the establishment of a new rail service.