Finding common ground in Wahkiakum County

Landowners, long-time residents, tribal representatives, agency staff, and conservation groups gathered around tables during the Jan. 28 Wahkiakum Common Ground workshop at the Vista Park Annex in Skamokawa to talk about the land and water they share. These workshops are designed to bring people together to better understand the county's watersheds and the challenges facing them. Skamokawa resident, author, and historian Irene Martin opened the first conversation by asking, "Are we all speaking the same language, or are we each in our own solitude?"

The workshop was the first in the 2026 Wahkiakum Common Ground series organized by the Wahkiakum County Marine Resources Committee and coordinated through the Washington State University (WSU) Wahkiakum County Extension. A second workshop was held Wednesday, Feb. 25 at the Skamokawa Grange. Marine Resources Committees were established by the Washington Legislature in coastal counties to engage residents. In Wahkiakum County, the committee focuses on restoring the lower Columbia estuary and its tributaries, supporting marine resource-based livelihoods, and strengthening resilience to flooding and erosion.

Each gathering begins at 9:30 a.m. and runs until mid-afternoon. These gatherings include presentations, a discussion, and field visits. Participants have heard from timber workers, fisheries experts and restoration practitioners and visited sites such as Nelson Creek and Dead Slough to see local habitat projects and tide gates firsthand. One participant said seeing the sites in person "made the challenges and the possibilities much clearer."

Also speaking at the January workshop was Chairman of the Chinook Indian Nation Tony Johnson who reminded the audience that the Chinook people have lived along the lower Columbia River for thousands of years. He also spoke of the importance of sitting with elders and listening to stories passed down through generations about the land and what local streams once supported.

The gatherings draw people who do not always see things the same way about land and water issues in the county. This includes groups like Columbia Land Trust and the Department of Ecology and their dealings with local landowners and farmers. Conversations from these gatherings include perspectives from fishing, timber, conservation, tribal communities and government agencies, all discussing issues affecting the county's rivers, forests and economy.

Carrie Shofner, who serves as Wahkiakum's extension director for the WSU Extension, helps coordinate for the Wahkiakum County Marine Resources Committee. "Conversations at Wahkiakum Common Ground have already led to new partnerships," Shofner said. "Participants also spoke in support of the Conservation District when the Voluntary Stewardship Program came before the county commissioners. The program passed and will bring new resources to local landowners."

At the Feb. 25 workshop, third-generation timber faller and Wahkiakum County commissioner Dan Cothren spoke about growing up in a logging family and the long history of working forests in Wahkiakum County. "My number one goal is communication," said Cothren. "We've got to let folks know what's going on. I do love Wahkiakum County."

Skamokawa resident Mia Giacondino said, "There is a delicate balance at play in this county. That balance is only possible because there is a desire to find common ground." Echoing Giacondino, Isaac Holowatz of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said "The work happening around Wahkiakum County is only possible through collaboration."

According to organizers, creating space for those conversations is the main goal because "ideas and connections formed during the workshops may help shape future restoration projects and partnerships." Wahkiakum County Marine Resources Committee member Sandra Staples-Bortner said, "Getting people talking nicely with each other is the point."

Chinook Indian Nation representative Hugh Amaguq Ahnatook, who also serves on the Necanicum Watershed Council and as Bay Center fire chief, admitted he was encouraged to see community members collaborating on restoration work in the Grays River area. "Landowners have begun reaching out to the Chinook Indian Nation to explore restoring wetlands on the property," said Ahnatook.

For Katie Pierson of the Columbia Land Trust, the conversations also highlight the importance of the next generation. "I really believe it starts with the youth," said Pierson, adding that long-term solutions "will depend on people working together across the community."

The 2026 Wahkiakum Common Ground series continues Wednesday, March 25 at Rosburg Hall, with a final workshop planned for Wednesday, May 6, at a location still to be announced. "This is an evolutionary process," said Martin. "We may not live to see the fruits of our labors."