The portion of the Heartland Trail affected here runs nearly 50 miles, from Lowell to Greenville. The trail replaced old CSX Transportation railroad tracks that had easements through many people’s property along this route.
Here is where the trouble lies, and the reason court action was taken. By converting the railroad tracks to a trail, now this area of privately owned land is open for public use. The property owners fear that this will negatively affect the property’s value.
The court ruled that the plaintiffs are entitled to just compensation. The appraisal process to determine the potential effect on property values will be starting soon, both by the property owners and the U.S. Department of Justice.