As has been noted before (often) maintenance is regularly deferred/postponed due "lack of funds". Whether one agrees with WDFW's priorities (often as mandated by the Leg, Courts, etc) they simply don't have the money to do it all.

This situation was, I believe, preventable but the cost would have been some other work, somewhere, on some other resource.

I would hope that the investigation is complete and made public with the public being given the opportunity to ask for and receive answers. But, since these are the folks that brought us NOF.........