Viewsheds, Land Conservation, Open Space, and Partnerships

o anderson · **Posted:** Sat May 16, 2009 11:56 am

Over the years it becomes painfully obvious that the urban growth machine is nibbling away at our scenic railroads. Virtually every tourist line that was created has (or had) some scenic quality that was nice to experience from a window of a rolling railroad car.

A rare few are immune to the effects of real estate development. Some have suffered terribly (Ohio Railway Museum and the lower end of the Durango and Silverton come to mind). Where once it was open fields and groves of trees, it is now backyards, trailer parks, and condominiums.

While purchasing land outright is great, the scale of the work is beyond most rail groups. Also beyond the scope. However the viewshed of a ride is something we "borrow" from our neighbors. I just discovered an interesting cooperative partnership which the Strasburg Railroad is undertaking with the Lancaster Farmland Trust.
http://www.lancasterfarmlandtrust.org/partnerships/strasburg_rr.html

I urge every group to think long and hard about partnerships with regional organizations who save farmland, establish nature preserves, or simply buy development rights by establishing conservation easements from agreeable private landowners. Open space preserved next to your railroad museum will make your area that much more a destination in the future. This is a good time to act, as we are getting a temporary breather from development pressures. Except those few, slippery folks with the funds may be buying up large tracts for future projects too. Time to act.

o anderson · **Posted:** Mon Feb 14, 2011 12:59 pm

Recent preservation of the Carson River Canyon will help guarantee a beautiful ride on the restored V&T. From the Carson City news on CarsonNow.org blog:

Quote:

About 3.5 miles of frontage that amounts to 419 acres along the Carson River corridor was sealed into protection thanks to the voter-approved Question 1 initiative and Carson City's own Question 18 Quality of Life Initiative.

A partnership for the purchase, appraised at $3.1 million, was created between Carson City, the Nevada Land Conservancy, the Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway and private landowner John Serpa.

<snip>

The transaction included a 22-acre easement reserved for the future reconstruction of the V&T Railway and its operations. These parcels offer magnificent scenic beauty and provide recreational and educational opportunities along the Carson River.

<snip>

Future land-based trails are envisioned in the Carson City Unified Trails Master Plan - linking with the Empire Ranch Trail, Riverview Park, Silver Saddle Ranch, and Ambrose Natural Area along the east side of Eagle Valley.

http://carsonnow.org/taxonomy/term/56/all

Sloan · **Posted:** Mon Feb 14, 2011 10:12 pm

IIRC, the Shore Line Trolley Museum operates in a wetland and has received an award for protecting that ecologically sensitive area. This location will likely remain pristine, thereby offering a scenic attraction to riders.
Sloan

Bob Davis · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2004 3:25 am **Posts:** 1025

Western Railway Museum (near Fairfield CA) seems to be safe from encroaching suburbia for now. Their main line, the former Sacramento Northern route to Sacramento, still looks much as it did nearly a hundred years ago. Photographers just have to watch their camera angles to avoid the gigantic wind turbines that have proliferated to the southeast of the museum.
At Orange Empire, the south end of the main line is still "boonies", but the north end has industrial development on one side, and tract houses on the other. The residential area helps recreate typical Southern California neighborhoods where the Pacific Electric used to run, while the industrial zone provides a buffer to the "closed to the public" areas.