The priorities are set in policy by the F&W Commission. Then they are filtered through the director to the staff.

I have to agree with SeaDNA somewhat, but the confusion as to what the priorities are is a failure of the staff to carry out policy and follow the statutes. For example: some years ago (10?) wildlife biologists planted Lynx fur in the Gifford Pinchot N.F. so that certain logging plans would not be carried out. Those that did the illegal act (Lynx have yet to be proven to exist in G.Pinchot) weren't even fired.

The fish biologists who designed a season that killed the 21,000 steelhead on the Columbia about 10 years ago weren't even disciplined, and on it goes. These things happen in WDFW too often. Look at the Chehalis Basin Chinook under escapement the past decade? The person who managed that got promoted!

The department's management can be fixed. It'll take some new blood and a stronger conviction from the Commission.