On Friday, July 24, 2020, US EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, US Senator Daines, Attorney General Fox and EPA Region 8 Administrator Greg Sopkin toured Kalispell Brownfields sites related to the Core Area Redevelopment and TIGER grant project. The group was hosted by Kalispell Mayor Mark Johnson and included stops at the new Glacier Rail Park, CHS facility, SunRift Restaurant and the former CHS Agronomy Center. The purpose was to demonstrate the work being accomplished in Kalispell as a result of the investment of Brownfields grant funds in this community.
The City of Kalispell and BNSF are making final preparations to sign a railbanking agreement allowing for City acquisition of the rail line through the Kalispell Core Area. Acquisition paves the way for removal of the tracks to be replaced with a linear pedestrian trail, spanning approximately 1.6 miles through the Kalispell Core Area. The Federal Railroad Administration is concluding review of the Supplemental Environmental Assessment and summation of public comment. This will allow for the potential issuance of a Finding of No Significant Impact and selection of the Core Area north/south connector and final trail design.
* Image cropped from photo by Casey Kreider with the Daily Inter Lake