John Williams and the "new" NWP Co are riding on back of SMART and there's always going to be some demand for rail service in the North Bay counties. The post World War II lumber boom was the last hurrah for the NWP. Today there are two sawmills north of Willits where once there were over 100 and all the big names are gone. Geology vs maintenance always made for high operating cost. You may see rail service as far north as Ukiah one day, but a forest products reload is probably the best one can hope for. No economy, no railroad, it's just that simple. As far as the NCRA goes, they are an adjunct of state government and their board consists of members of the community who have a vested interest in the region and serve largely without compensation.
ARD