Sounds logical enough, but how would that line owner (check out the STB) have pulled off a 3 million TIGER grant without some local political support, which presumably involved Clearwater Paper or the timber holder (what's left of Potlatch, I believe)?

Pretty shocking to see this award for this (presumed purpose), but you don't just have a Tiger fall in your lap it takes LOTS of stakeholders making it THEIR big deal.

I want to say at least at one time the timber company had some obligation to supply the paper mill, which obviously was spun off when Potlatch went the REIT route and had to get out of less timber-ish ops. I don't know that the paper mill doesn't need large quantities of the species the timberholder needs to periodically cut up around the Jaype landing.

Of late they've been bringing barges of whatever chips up from St. Helens, who knows what the current competition for fiber in that zone is currently - or is expected to become. Mills seem to chase cheap fiber which is about the only thing that ever creates rail moves that way anymore.