PENDLETON — Umatilla County is chasing after a $6 million grant for the Umatilla River Trail project to connect the cities of Umatilla and Hermiston.

The county board of commissioners at its meeting Wednesday, Jan. 18, gave the OK to the community development department to submit an application to the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Community Pathways Program for funding for the trail.

The county’s Umatilla River Trail Implementation Committee, with support from community development staff and consultant Merchant McIntyre Associates of Washington, D.C., have been selected to submit a grant request to the Oregon Community Pathways Program.

The approximately $6 million funding request would support permitting, engineering, design and construction for a portion of phase one of the. The program requires a 10.27% match, and the county has a committed local partner to help cover that amount.

“No general funds will be used,” board Chair Dan Dorran said. “I have high confidence that we will be a finalist in the state’s $32 million Pathways grant program. It’s exciting.”

Phase one of the trail project covers the route along the river from Umatilla to Hermiston.

“The committee has identified a path to Echo,” Dorran said. “We’re going to eat the elephant one chunk at a time. It’s a showcase project, which we can complete in little pieces.”

The county must submit the application to ODOT by Jan. 31.

In other business, the board approved the sheriff’s office request to buy seven new computers and three monitors for $7,546, and to lease six vehicles for $120,078.85 for the first two years, and $60,000.46 for the remaining two years. 

The commissioners also approved a county flag design.