Agreement would let railroad cut through hatchery Montana fisheries officials say they've tentatively agreed to give the proposed Tongue River Railroad a 25 acre-easement through a major fish hatchery near the Yellowstone River. State Hatcheries Bureau Chief Bob Snyder said he'd rather not have the railroad cut through the Miles City Hatchery. But Snyder said the state has little choice because federal law gives railroads broad powers of condemnation. The proposed agreement includes a $25 million insurance policy maintained by the Tongue River Railroad Company to cover any damage to the hatchery. That would be enough money to replace the hatchery. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board approved the final section of the 130-mile railroad on Oct. 9. The $341 million project, proposed in 1983, is designed to tap into the region's vast but largely undeveloped coal reserves. Ranchers, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and conservation and environmental groups have fought against the rail line for decades. They claim it would cause excessive environmental damage, undermine existing railroad jobs and harm livestock producers....