High-speed rail to hold meeting on wye alignment

Farmers and ranchers wishing to keep track of the high-speed rail project in the Central Valley will want to punch a ticket to an open house next week in Chowchilla.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority is considering four alternatives for the Central Valley Wye, a junction connecting several segments of the system: San Jose to Fresno, San Jose to Merced and Merced to Fresno. The authority wants to be able to route trains toward San Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles.

All four alignments for the wye sit near Chowchilla, in northern Madera County, and extend north into Merced County. Three of the alternatives follow Highway 152 east to west; potential north-south connections follow Road 11, Road 13 and Road 19. The fourth follows Avenue 21 east to west, with the wye heading north at Road 13.

"I would encourage members to attend because they would have absolute interaction with (HSR) staff, to be able to ask questions and gain help on that side if they have permit-to-enter letters," said Breanne Ramos, executive director of the Merced County Farm Bureau.

The Merced County Farm Bureau newspaper reported this month that some landowners in the county have begun to receive letters from the authority, requesting permission to enter the property for environmental studies.

"It's impacting a number of family farms," Ramos said.

Christina Beckstead, executive director of the Madera County Farm Bureau, said her bureau also plans to attend. The Madera County Farm Bureau meets with two representatives from CHSRA once a month, to stay on top of the latest developments.

"There's going to be significant impacts no matter how you look at it. It's going to take out a large part of farmland," Beckstead said, noting that the Madera County Farm Bureau took the position in 2010 that the line should follow Highway 152.

"We do encourage people that are going to be impacted by the wye to come and voice their concerns," she said.

Beckstead also pointed out that the unincorporated town of Fairmead will be greatly affected by the wye.

"At this point, the Farm Bureau thinks that that community needs to voice their opinions and make sure they're heard with HSR," she said.

A map of the alignments, along with animations and other information, can be found online at www.hsr.ca.gov/programs/statewide_rail_modernization/project_sections/central_valley_wye.html.

The open house is set for 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 8 in the Little Theater at the Chowchilla Fairgrounds, 1000 S. Third St. For more information, call 559-274-8975 or email centralvalley.wye@hsr.ca.gov.

(Kevin Hecteman is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. He may be contacted at khecteman@cfbf.com.)