So she actually said that her focus would remain on making decisions guided by "sound science and the public trust?" I almost hurt myself laughing.

The lack of public trust is directly attributable to her abject failure to accept the science as provided by her professional biologists.

She clearly lives in a self-induced world of denial.

My interaction with the commission was mostly done 10 years ago but I have followed them. What I have trouble understanding is just how and the h--- they got where they are at. This is followed by what an idiot the governor was on resource issues to have appointed these folks. I mean it is liked being forced to watch the movie Dumb and Dumber every day every week. I mean like it is painful !!!!

I think the real decline started first with Boldt and then when we had the initiatives that banned traps, hounds, and so on.

The agency(s) did a really poor job of explaining why things were done. What the constraints were, what biology said, and so on. This was both internal external because I know (as doe Rivrguy) that internally there were staff who imitated 2x4s as well folks on the outside.

This was followed by continuing shift in folks with no actual hands-on contact with the resources and with the users and with the observers.

The Senate bears some of the blame because at times over the last 20-30 years they did not an actually confirm some nominees, they just punted. Couple that with an anti-use governor and it slides downhill.

Things will never go back to the "way they were" because we have many more people, much less accessible land, fewer resources, and escalating costs that folks are unwilling to pay.

But Dumber and Dumber is an apt description.

Latest an AI search got for me.

Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission investigation centers on whether four sitting commissioners violated the Open Public Meetings Act and the Public Records Act ahead of their controversial 2022 decision to ban spring bear hunts.

The Independent Governor's InvestigationIn April 2026, Governor Bob Ferguson received the final, independent report from an outside investigator probing whether commissioners mishandled public records and colluded behind the scenes with animal rights activists. While the governor's office has acknowledged receipt of the final report, the report has not yet been released to the public, and the state has declined to specify a timeline for its publication.

The probe was originally greenlit after Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Director Kelly Susewind forwarded an internal legal memo detailing "serious risks" of conflict of interest and favoritism among specific board members.The "Knoll Memo" Public ReleaseThe basis for the state investigation became public through the release of an internal document known as the Knoll Memo.

Uncovered by a public records request from the Sportsmen's Alliance, the 10-page memo alleges that Commissioners Lorna Smith and Melanie Rowland bypassed standard transparency protocols and appeared to have wildlife advocacy leaders "on speed dial" to shape state hunting policies. The targeted commissioners have fiercely denied these allegations, calling the memo a collection of "unsupported accusatory opinions".Federal Retaliation LawsuitThe internal rift escalated into federal court when Commissioner Lorna Smith and Washington Wildlife First (WW1) filed a civil rights lawsuit against WDFW Director Kelly Susewind and Deputy Director Amy Windrope.

The Allegation: Smith claims that Susewind weaponized the internal memo and the subsequent investigation to intimidate, muzzle, and retaliate against her for opposing his pro-hunting agenda.The Latest Update: On June 22, 2026, Director Susewind struck back by filing a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The defense argues that Smith lacks standing to sue because she remains an active commissioner with full voting power, meaning no tangible harm or silencing has occurred.Public and Commission TensionThe gridlock has caused immense friction during public meetings.

While the Sportsmen's Alliance continues to petition the governor for the outright removal of the embattled commissioners, reform advocates have publicly called for WDFW leadership to be held accountable for allegedly targeting dissenting viewpoints. The Commission has also updated its internal "Rules of Procedure" in an attempt to restore frayed public trust while the governor reviews the investigation's final conclusions.Would you like to explore specific details from the Knoll Memo, review the timeline of the spring bear hunt ban, or look into the legal arguments in the ongoing federal lawsuit?AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses