{"data":{"id":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-5b-1a-5","jurisdiction":"us-wv","citation":"W. Va. Code § 5B-1A-5","heading":"Powers to hold and acquire real property.","body":"(a) The state rail authority shall hold fee simple title or any lesser interest in land, including easements and leaseholds, on all abandoned railroad rights-of-way acquired by the state and utilized for interim nonmotorized recreational trail use pursuant to the provisions of this article. The state rail authority may, at the option of a political subdivision of this state, hold fee simple title or any lesser interest in land, including easements and leaseholds, on all abandoned railroad rights-of-way acquired by such political subdivision and utilized for interim nonmotorized recreational trail use. Any provision of article one-a, chapter twenty of this code to the contrary notwithstanding, the public land corporation shall not be vested with title to any abandoned railroad right-of-way which becomes vested in the state pursuant to the provisions of this article.\n(b) The state rail authority may acquire an interest in an abandoned railroad right-of-way to be used as a rail trail, in accordance with the provisions of section six, article eighteen, chapter twenty-nine of this code.\n(c) The state rail authority shall issue a rail bank certificate for each abandoned railroad right-of-way held by the state rail authority for interim nonmotorized recreational purposes in accordance with the provisions of section six of this article.","path":["CHAPTER 5B. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1985.","ARTICLE 1A. WEST VIRGINIA RAILS TO TRAILS PROGRAM."],"source_url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/5B-1A-5/","current_through":"as of 2026-08-03; contains at least the enactments of the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-06T00:20:08Z","sha256":"32e67d56f1c3193b427910f570e7d480ebed93cbf137b5e52ef5d2493f0aac75","source_id":"us-wv","stale":true,"prev":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-5b-1a-4","next":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-5b-1a-6"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}