Jefferson City — The Rock Island Corridor that makes its way through the heart of the 31st Senatorial District is being converted into a public rail-trail as part of the Rock Island State Park. Sen. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, is encouraging landowners and concerned citizens to attend a series of public meetings about a class action lawsuit in regard to landowners’ rights.  This lawsuit does not seek to halt the creation of the trail; it only seeks to provide just compensation from the federal government for landowners whose land was taken for the creation of the trail.

“The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is converting the railroad into the trail, but it is the federal government that took the land, citing the Federal Trails Act.  However, when a railroad no longer uses railroad tracks, the land it sits on should, rightfully, be returned to the previous owners,” Sen. Emery said.  “When the federal government took this land for the trail, the landowners were never compensated.  I encourage all landowners to attend one of the three meetings.”

The old Rock Island railroad right-of-way stretches approximately 42 miles from Wingate in Cass County to Windsor in Pettis County. The width of the right-of-way across each affected landowner’s property varies, but can reach as far as 100 feet on either side of the old railroad tracks.

Meetings

Who: Attorneys Lindsay Brinton and Steve Davis

What: Town hall meeting to discuss the class action rails-to-trails case
Clements v. United States

When/Where: Wednesday, July 23, 2014
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
VFW Post 3118, 1701 Country Club Drive
Pleasant Hill, MO 64080

Wednesday, July 23, 2014
5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Holden City Hall
101 W. Third Street
Holden, MO  64040

Thursday, July 24, 2014
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
American Legion Post #82
10341 Highway 52 East
Windsor, MO  65360

For more information about attending the meetings, please call (314) 296-4000.  For press inquiries regarding the lawsuit, please call (202) 715-8504.