Rails to trails? That may be a wonderful idea in the areas of the country that are so populated that there is little room for outside recreation except on old railroad beds, but in many parts of Maine, and especially Washington County, removing transportation infrastructure to provide a place for a few bicyclists and hikers to play seems counterproductive at best, and foolish at worst.

A recent article in the BDN indicated that rails were going to be torn up and sold for scrap from Washington Junction near Ellsworth to Ayers Junction in Pembroke. I have walked many miles of that route, and while it is in disrepair from no use since the 1960s, much of the roadbed and associated structures are intact. It seems such a waste to rip up something so useful, to have it shipped away (probably by truck) to be melted down, probably into automobile and truck parts. The least they could do as they rip up the rails is stockpile them for eventual future use near the roadbed, instead of shipping them off to be turned into something else.

As fuel prices rise, we all need to find ways of using the resources at hand in more productive ways. A trainload of semi-trailers on flatcars will go at least six times as far on a gallon of fuel as the individual trucks will.

Admittedly, there will always be a need for trucks and fresh produce and time-sensitive deliveries will always have to be made, and trucks serve those purposes best. However, loads of freight, such as lumber, chips and pulp, along with gravel, sand and other abundant local products could easily be transported by rail, if there were rails in place to carry them. Passenger service might also be feasible, but until our national love affair with rubber tires and independent travel abates a bit, that seems to be a stretch, at least for Washington County, in spite of the draw that we have here in natural beauty and resources.

The state of Maine has invested millions in developing a shipping terminal in Eastport, and the only access to it by land is over a single two-lane road, which sits right beside a rail bed that was ripped up years ago. Imagine the increase in products that could be shipped from Eastport if sufficient quantities of goods could be economically transported to the ocean terminal. Instead, the state wants to invest millions more in opening a new cargo terminal at Sears Island. What the heck are we thinking?

With a bit of foresight, arrangements might also be made to improve the rail service crossing the border, to allow the products from the Canadian Maritimes to be moved in a more efficient manner to U.S. markets. Maybe the Canadian government could see the value in this and even be part of an investment team to make it work. They seem interested in the Peter Vigue proposal for a new roadway across Maine – for trucks.

Jeff Orchard of Charlotte is an environmental consultant and writer who recently moved back to Maine.