ENTERPRISE — The nonprofit working to establish a 63-mile trail-with-rail between Elgin and Joseph in Northeastern Oregon received an $18,000 grant from Cycle Oregon.

The Joseph Branch Trail Consortium announced the award in a press release Tuesday, Feb. 8. The funds will help cover the cost of the construction of a covered gazebo as well as landscaping at the trail’s soon-to-be-built western trailhead in downtown Elgin.

The grant follows two other grants to the nonprofit group that total more than $272,000: an Oregon State Parks grant to fund construction of the first Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant trail section and the trailhead (that also will serve as a pocket park in Elgin) and a grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation that will fund development of a detailed plan for the next 15-mile segment between Elgin and Lookingglass.

The trail has been in the planning stages for about 10 years and eventually will offer a nonmotorized alternative transportation route to Highway 82 in the form of a trail next to existing railroad tracks in the railroad right-of-way the Wallowa Union Railroad Authority owns. With one end in Elgin, the other will terminate 63 miles later in Joseph.

City officials at each end of the proposed trail are eager to see it accomplished, anticipating economic and health benefits. Elgin, with a population around 1,700 population, has no accessible trails from downtown, according to a press release announcing the grants. Joseph, with roughly 1,000 people, also will benefit from the trail, as will Wallowa, Lostine and Enterprise.

Brock Eckstein, who is city administrator of Elgin and interim city administrator for Joseph, said in November there is a “time cap” of December 2024 to get the Elgin trailhead/pocket park and the first short section of trail out of town constructed, as well as the planning for the next first 13 miles refined.

“We’re just taking it piece by piece until we get the whole thing done,” he said.

Gregg Kleiner, the project coordinator for the consortium, said in the Feb. 8 release the new grant from Cycle Oregon is part of “impressive momentum” building up for this project.

“The trail will be open to bicycles, and the trailhead will feature a bike maintenance station and an e-bike charging station, so it’s a perfect fit for Cycle Oregon, and we’re very grateful for their enthusiastic support,” he said.

The Cycle Oregon grant and previous small grants from the Schwemm Family Foundation and the Roundhouse Foundation also are supporting development of the trailhead/pocket park.

More information about the consortium and membership can be found online at www.josephbranchtrail.org/membership.