Tom, you're actually the myopic one. Tark has it right.
The changes in private timber company policy, and charging for access, or closures, are in fact partially but significantly rooted in the loss of PUBLIC lands access through road closures and other restrictions. When the same number of people seek to recreate using the same means after 50 percent of the roads are closed, what happens? Use patterns intensify, or users go someplace else, like private forest ground. USED to be, the timber companies didn't care, just as long as users didn't mess up the roads or hurt their trees. Of course, all of us have noticed that as America continues to decline, outdoor recreationists have gotten stupider and stupider as well, tearing up private AND PUBLIC property and costing shareholders money. I mean, for gosh sake, have you ever seen an "impromptu" shooting area? What a mess!
Charging for access has a strategic component. The timber companies have mostly restructured to REITS, real estate, and to getting cash flows by whatever means, with TREES being just one way of making money.. That has started to include "monetizing" recreation access, and furthermore cuts out the moron visitors that used to tear stuff up).If it costs a lot to access private ground, then that puts the pressure on the government (not the smartest people) to buy "conservation" lands (which are the worst "timber", wink wink) at an inflated price. The REITs get out from under their underperforming holdings for way more money than they deserve, while still charging for access to the remaining lands.
Up hills slow, Down hills fast Tonnage first and Safety last.
