The following note was rec'd today. The fish and wildlife resources of this state are losing a true champion. Miranda is going to be missed by all of us.


July 26, 2017


The time has arrived for me to step down from my seat on the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. I will step aside August 6 and allow someone else to take up the privilege and the responsibility of the appointment.

I leave the Commission after 12 years with deep gratitude for the opportunity I had to contribute to the governance process. I leave more convinced than ever that it is vital that citizens step forward, with good will and optimism, and engage their talents constructively in the formulation of policies. Government is always a work-in-progress and it can be made better by public participation. Government service is honorable work with many decent, energetic and skilled professionals involved in it.

It has been a pleasure to serve with knowledgeable, dedicated, and industrious Commissioners and Department staff. I am especially proud of all the major policy reforms that were adopted to emphasize conservation and accountability during my time on the Commission. In doing so, we did not please everyone. Looking forward, I hope the Commission faces the inevitable challenges with integrity and with a commitment to the highest principles.

What I take away is a continued belief in the possibility of positive change. When I began my time on the Commission, I had a lot to learn about a long list of issues. The more I learned, the more I was aware of the questions that remained to be asked. Humility is the best posture given the importance of what we do, the inadequacy of our knowledge, and the limits of our capacities. With this in mind, I am convinced that we should treat each other with patience, good will, and honesty.

Above all, after all these years, I am extremely, extremely, grateful for the friends I have made along the way. I thank you all for the kind words of support, for the helpful advice, for the chance to visit and learn about each corner of our wonderful state, and for the opportunity to meet so many people dedicated to the natural resources of our beautiful place.

With gratitude,


Miranda Wecker

Hands down, the most astute Commissioner to serve for as long as I have been involved in WA fish politics. Grays Harbor in particular owes her a tremendous debt of gratitude.

It's a bittersweet farewell as she will be sorely missed, yet I wish her the very best in her future endeavors.

Thank you Miranda Wecker for your service and you will certainly be missed. Hopefully all is well considering premature termination of 12/31/2018 term.

+1

Ii don't believe that there has ever been a better advocate for conservation AND the recreational fishing community then Miranda, she will be missed by all but the commercial interests. Thanks for years of service to us all. Bob R

I was just reading about this on the NWS fb page. Irritating to see there are commenters that are happy about it. They are either gillnetters or seriously misinformed. Miranda Wecker was a voice of sanity and reason on the commission. I am quite concerned about the commission without her on it. But I am grateful for all the hard work and guidance she's provided during her tenure. She'll be seriously missed!

I'd go so far as to say Miranda is the most astute Commissioner ever to serve. She's sharp, understands the laws and policies, and open minded and a real conservationist. She will be missed very much.

+1. Twelve years is a long run and she will be sorely missed. I hope that we will see someone appointed with her ability to see the big picture and set clear policy and expectations for the Department and to ensure that those policies are implemented.

Plant fish.

Listen for yourselves...

http://centralpt.com/upload/560/Advocacy/2017/20338_20170113_12_Wecker.mp3