The community focus article Facebook posts asking area residents about their concerns for southwest Washington after the first quarter of 2025 were rough.
From complaints about using social media for the article idea that has been used monthly for over a year to commenters not following rules such as providing a real first and last name along with the general area of residence, May’s community focus was one to remember, for better or for worse.
The first post in the Woodland Washington Community Chat Facebook group yielded no proper responses as no commenters provided their real first and last name and general area of residence in their comment. A second attempt the next day brought in a few answers to work with. In Yacolt’s Discussion Forum Facebook group, commenters were loosely obliged to follow the rules.
In all of 2024, community members did not complain about the use of social media as a way to reach out to the community, nor was providing real first and last names and general areas of residence as big of an issue or as frequently missed in the reading of the post as much. The community focus idea has been successful in the past. Still, the posts by Reflector Reporter Cade Barker on May 13 and May 14 were a sign that maybe area residents on social media would prefer an in-person option or the end to the idea altogether.
Woodland
The clear concern in 2024 for Woodland residents was the immense amount of traffic and that concern has continued.
Debi Meyers, a resident of Woodland, commented about State Route 503 and its heavy traffic with very few turns and middle lanes outside of city limits.
“Not only does traffic have to stop often and wait while cars turn, but in case of an emergency, there is nowhere for vehicles to go to let emergency vehicles pass,” Meyers commented. “With three large housing developments being added, I see this problem only getting worse.”
Lorelea Myers, of Woodland, spelled traffic in all capital letters.
“We definitely need to have traffic issues addressed,” Myers commented. “We have so many housing developments going in with one way in and one way out on Lewis River Road. This is a disaster in the making. I don’t see City Council addressing this issue enough. I realize it is a state highway, but I don’t feel that the mayor is forming the necessary relationships with the people up north that could facilitate better results.”
A third commenter focused on traffic. Bryce William Irvin Phelps stated that he would like all hands on deck.
“The issue I would like you to pursue with all the resources of The Reflector is as follows,” Phelps commented. “I believe a majority of Woodland would like to divert all AMPM traffic, ingress and egress in the North Fork Lewis River. This would allow for the E CC St. traffic to flow freely again.”
Yacolt
The May 13 community focus Facebook post in the Yacolt-centric group was the first one ever, having been accepted into the group recently, which may have been the reason for few responses, but any response is greatly appreciated.
Jessica Becker, a resident of the surrounding area to Yacolt, shared her concerns about the mining overlay issue that has been an ongoing topic to Chelatchie Prairie residents and other areas of north Clark County.
“The fact that outside mining interests seem to own the mineral property rights for properties on which they don’t actually own surface rights,” Becker commented. “That they recently tried to get mining overlays on these properties without any notification to those owners. That these properties have waterways on them that directly flow into the protected East Fork Lewis River. That there hasn’t been an updated resource lands study for these mining lands since 2014. That the county historically can’t even enforce existing rules regarding local mines and that these mining claims on the aforementioned properties may have gone through the planning process unknown except that some of us local homeowners found out and raised hell.”
Mark Rose, of Yacolt, commented that his biggest issues so far in 2025 are the looming idea of the industrialization of the railroad that runs through the middle of the town, as well as powerline installation that cuts through Yacolt, over homes and across the East Fork Lewis River. Rose is also not a fan of the requests for mining on nearby properties and the “endless stream of gravel and rock trucks through our community.”
