When forests become financial assets for distant investors, ownership loses its connection to place.

[emmettoconnell@mas.to]

When forests become financial assets for distant investors, ownership loses its connection to place. Gates don’t just block roads, they break the relationship between land and community, turning shared landscapes that once sustained local traditions like hunting into private assets.

Investment companies block access to tens of thousands of acres in Wahkiakum, Pacific counties
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/09/investment-companies-block-access-to-tens-of-thousands-of-acres-in-wahkiakum-pacific-counties/

[ohmu@social.seattle.wa.us]

@emmettoconnell
This is a big shift!

My org has the opposite problem. The primary land owner keeps the gates on the mainline open 8 to 4. They require permits but basically don't patrol at all. Which means people accidentally trespass into the watershed almost every day. It's posted but folks blow right past the signs. Until they end up lost and on the wrong side of one my org's locked gates. That's when they figure out their maps need cellular service.

[gordonwhite1@mas.to]

@emmettoconnell Great to have the WSS having reporters doing the research for stories like this one. Brannan captures the importance of timberland for local fishing and hunting access. It will be interesting if the GOP reps for the area speak out against the lockout of local hunters.

Side note: The Elochoman Mainline also serves as important emergency access from Pacific to Lewis Co when Hwys get blocked during floods and landslides. Locked gates could delay response times.