Video Walk Through of Evidence
Documentation: News Stories and Social Media Posts
The stories and evidence related to our public records requests, the necessary lawsuit to acquire those records and the resulting proof of collusion, corruption and legal violations of Washington state law.
We’re making public important records that show how four commissioners serving on the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission have circumvented open-meeting laws in violation of state law, colluded to end hunting opportunities based not on science presented by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists but on their own opinions and personal beliefs, and how they have done so by excluding legally bound tribal co-managers and the public. These commissioners have worked in lockstep with extreme animal activists and organizations to destroy hunting, fishing and scientific wildlife management in the state of Washington — and they’ve flouted the law at every step. With the evidence the Sportsmen’s Alliance has handed Governor Bob Ferguson, he has the authority to, and should, remove these commissioners immediately. The Sportsmen’s Alliance will continue to pull back the veil of government secrecy by releasing evidence of malfeasance and illegal activity committed by these commissioners.
THE PETITION AND EVIDENCE
Read our petition and supporting evidence that justifies removal of commissioners Barbara Baker, Lorna Smith, Melanie Rowland and John Lehmkuhl, each of whom have violated multiple state laws and their legal mandate to maximize hunting and fishing opportunities.
SUPPLEMENTAL PETITION
After unearthing potential violations of law among commissioners, including possible felony actions of deleting or destroying public records, and/or conspiring to do, the Sportsmen’s Alliance submitted a supplement to our official petition to Gov. Ferguson detailing these severe actions and providing the evidence for his review.
Evidence: Social Media Posts
Victim Blaming Girl Attacked by Cougar
Lorna Smith Email
Scolding WDFW for Releasing Facts
Lorna Smith Email
How to Stop Spring Bear Season
Lorna Smith Email
Congrats on Canceling Spring Bear
Lorna Smith Email
Thankful for Teamwork!
Melanie Rowland Email
Lorna Smith Bullying
WDFW Staff Email to Supervisor
Unaccountable Commissioners
WDFW Supervisor Response to Staff
Excluding Tribes
Lorna Smith Email
Collusion
Lorna Smith Email
Commission Credibility
WDFW Employee Email
Motion to End Spring Bear
Lorna Smith Email
Personal Ethics Over Science
Melanie Rowland Email
Data Doesn’t Matter, End Spring Bear Now!
Lorna Smith Email
Achieve Desired Results
John Lehmkuhl Email
News Stories and Documentation
DIGGING DEEPER: SPORTSMEN’S ALLIANCE SUBMITS ADDITIONAL RECORD REQUESTS TO WDFW
After discovering blatant disregard for state law and open disdain for the tribes and citizens of Washington, the Sportsmen’s Alliance wanted to know how high the corruption in the state went — so we submitted additional public records requests for communications that took place between former Governor Jay Inslee and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staff. We specifically asked for communications concerning wolves, bears, cougars and what would have been the fanatical four commissioners’ coup d’état, so-called “Conservation Policy” that would have defined the term ‘conservation’ and set future working parameters for the fish and wildlife department.
BEAR, COUGAR REGS BY WASHINGTON’S GAME COMMISSION UNNECCESSARY, LIKELY ILLEGAL
When the fanatical four anti-hunting commissioners continued their quest to protect predators at the behest of extreme animal-activist organizations, the Sportsmen’s Alliance submitted official comments rebutting their newly adopted policy that further restricted bear and cougar hunting.
SPORTSMEN’S ALLIANCE SUES WASHINGTON FISH AND WILDLIFE FOR DELAY ON PUBLIC RECORDS
When we submitted public records requests to the Department of Fish and Wildlife for the communications of Barbara Baker, Lorna Smith, Melanie Rowland and John Lehmkuhl, the state identified more than 477,000 responsive records. After more than 15 months, we had received around a dozen records. This slow walking of a legal obligation was completely unacceptable, so the Sportsmen’s Alliance sued the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to compel the release of requested documents.
SPORTSMEN’S ALLIANCE WINS CASE IN WASHINGTON SUPREME COURT
Despite the Sportsmen’s Alliance filing a lawsuit against Commissioner Lorna Smith personally for simultaneously holding two appointive offices, the Washington Attorney General’s Office defended her in Thurston County Superior Court and then continued wasting taxpayer dollars by appealing the eventual loss to the Washington Supreme Court. Ultimately, the highest state court agreed with the Sportsmen’s Alliance and Commissioner Smith was forced to resign one of the offices. She chose to step down from her Jefferson County Planning Commission position, later claiming to news outlets she was thinking about resigning anyway.
SPORTSMEN’S ALLIANCE COMMENTS ON WASHINGTON’S GRAY WOLF REVIEW
With the commission historically disregarding wildlife management science when it didn’t fit their agenda, the Sportsmen’s Alliance commented in support of Washington Fish and Wildlife Department biologists and staff who recommended downlisting wolves from “endangered” to “sensitive” throughout the state. Of course, the commission rejected the recommendation despite hard data proving wolf populations were stable, growing and expanding their range.
SPORTSMEN’S ALLIANCE COMMENTS ON WASHINGTON’S ILLICIT ‘CONSERVATION POLICY’
When the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission kept running up against resistance to their radical management changes and their legal mandate to maximize hunting and fishing, they sought to circumnavigate the intent of the state’s legislature by defining ‘conservation’ with loaded language and nebulous concepts, which could be used to undermine established wildlife management and scientific data in favor of any whim the commission desired. The policy would have guided the department’s actions, science and priorities going forward.
