one_more_ridge(@one_more_ridge) instagram tagged download - imginn.com

Instagram story viewer> @one_more_ridge> Tagged

@one_more_ridge

868

followers

315

following

Hunting, Fishing, Family, and the 2nd Amendment

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

HOW THE INSLEE COMMISSION WAS BUILT
For years, Washington sportsmen have asked how we ended up with a Commission that so often appears disconnected from hunters, anglers, and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.
A 2020 document from JT Austin, Gov. Jay Inslee’s Natural Resources Policy Advisor, gives us a remarkable look at how some of the biggest disgraces to our Commission were brought on board.
The document identifies Fred Koontz, Lorna Smith and Melanie Rowland among the top candidates and then specifically recommends all three as replacements for sitting commissioners.
There is a story is in the references.
FRED KOONTZ
His references included former WDFW scientists Harriet Allen (Wolf Haven Board member) and Gary Koehler, who has become known for being outspoken against cougar hunting. And Ruth Musgrave, who would later become Inslee’s Natural Resources Policy Advisor and was well connected to Barbara Baker.
LORNA SMITH
Her references included Kurt Beardslee of Wild Fish Conservancy and former Rep. Hans Dunshee. Dunshee became the Political Director of HSUS, an anti-hunting powerhouse. One of our other commissioners was allegedly in an ongoing relationship Dunshee, as confirmed by this commissioner to our team when asked.
MELANIE ROWLAND
Her references included Ruth Musgrave and Claire Davis, identified in the document as an attorney for Animal & Earth Advocates, Wild Fish Conservancy, and Washington Wildlife First.
And look at the language used throughout the candidate spreadsheet.
We’ve shared records with multiple of these people- this document brings it all together and highlights the connections.
The candidates being elevated were repeatedly categorized as “CONSERVATIONISTS.”
Hunters and anglers were categorized as “LICENSE HOLDERS.” From the looks of the spreadsheet sportsmen were largely left out of the process.
Hunters and anglers ARE conservationists.
This process elevated a network of environmental and animal-welfare advocates under the banner of “conservation,” while sportsmen were reduced to their status as license holders.
The Commission didn’t just become this way.
It was built to become this way by Inslee and his advisors.

64

2

Well, we all knew Columbia Insight had become a favorite outlet for anti-hunting, preservationist activists, but this article is next level.
The author has managed to take an investigation into WDFW commissioners and somehow turn it into a story about persecuted commissioners and angry hunters who just wanted to kill bears and take them on a “witch hunt”. Side note- it is extremely difficult to feel any empathy for “tarnished reputations” when people bring things on themselves as a consequence of their own behaviors (our opinion).😒
The headline literally says: “Hunters’ demands for spring bear kills led to dubious reprimand, tarnished reputations, say commissioners.” Then there’s a section titled “Hunters want pelts.” Oh and how this article talked about Sportsmen’s Alliance and CCW versus the Jody Allen funded, Washington Wildlife First is astonishing.
Spring bear was a catalyst for our concerns with this Commission—not the entirety of them. Our concerns have grown from countless issues involving commissioner conduct, transparency, accountability, decision-making, and especially HOW spring bear was ended.
Meanwhile, the investigation itself substantiated concerns involving public-records compliance, open meetings and commissioner conduct. But apparently those details aren’t nearly as interesting as building a victim narrative around Smith, Rowland and Lehmkuhl.
And let’s not forget the way hunters have been portrayed before. Mehaffey wrote “Hunters argue for right to kill mothers with cubs”. If that isn’t slandering a whole community..
And Lorna and Rowland, who have been unavailable or declined comment for other coverage recently, suddenly have plenty to say here. Wonder why?
K.C. Mehaffey and Melanie Rowland are from the same town. Methow Valley news, where she recently released her response article from is also from Twisp..
This isn’t objective reporting. Reality was not in the room with this one.
If you want to read how Lorna and Melanie feel targeted for their decades of activism: https://columbiainsight.org/governors-response-to-wdfw-investigation-sows-more-discord/
Photo credit- Columbia Insight

76

3

This document is from a March 25, 2025 legal analysis prepared by Joe Panesko, Senior Counsel with the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, and provided to Governor Ferguson’s Chief Legal Counsel, Kristin Beneski, as part of the review involving the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission.

The section addresses Commissioner Lorna Smith’s compensation claims and whether the days she claimed met the statutory requirements for commissioner compensation. The analysis notes that there was a lack of documentation showing what official work Smith had performed for all of the days for which she claimed compensation.

It states:

If Smith is claiming compensation for days where she is not actually engaging in “statutorily prescribed duties” as a commissioner, such claims may constitute theft. There are no records showing what official work Smith was allegedly conducting for all the days claimed over the past 14 months. These claims of daily commission work are particularly egregious considering how little prior effort Smith was making towards locating and producing her personal records responsive to public record requests. This compensation claim issue is a separate and concerning element of Smith’s conduct as a commissioner that highly suggests misconduct and malfeasance, if not outright criminal theft for claiming compensation for days when she likely did not actually perform any official, statutory duties as a commissioner.

Those are the words of the department lawyer from the AG’s office.

45

1

And, once again, we see the same pattern: Commissioner Smith openly advocating for a predetermined outcome and then using a deeply flawed anti-hunting poll (including the oft-repeated “80% of Washingtonians” figure ) as support for that position. Of course, the origin and recipients are personal email accounts instead of government issued ones.
We’re looking forward to the day when these kinds of Commissioners whose agendas come before duty are no longer tied to WDFW.
Hilarious seeing Lorna claiming a minority when a year later she would brag to preservationists about the 6 member voting alliance on the commission, sharing pictures of Commissioners Lehmkuhl, Baker, Meyers, Rowland, and Ragen (as well as Jay Inslee 😒).
This behavior has zero place in fish & wildlife management.

69

5

CCW was recently contacted by Columbia Insight regarding Governor Ferguson’s letters to Lorna and Melanie.
Rather than participate in an interview, we provided the following written statement. We believe it is important that our position be presented accurately and in its entirety:

“The Conservation Coalition of Washington appreciates Governor Ferguson for initiating the investigation into the four commissioners. We believe the findings reinforce the concerns we have raised over the years about the conduct of some Washington Fish and Wildlife Commissioners.

Although we had hoped Governor Ferguson would take further action following the investigation, we understand that this was not a simple decision, particularly following the loss of Commissioner Victor Garcia and with only four months remaining in the current commissioners’ terms.

We hope Governor Ferguson will take the findings of the investigation seriously when considering future appointments to the Commission.

Our greatest concern is the precedent that could be created by the use of warning letters in this situation. This is bigger than any one commissioner or any wildlife policy issue. It is about the standards we expect from people serving in our state government and whether those standards are consistently applied to all public officials and Washington employees. This is about good government and accountability.

We do not want the outcome of this situation to create the impression that these standards are optional for current or future commissioners.

We have faith that Governor Ferguson’s office will be rigorous in the upcoming appointment process, as we believe they were with the 2025 appointments. We hope to see that process result in a Commission that can move forward in a more constructive direction and help strengthen public confidence in the Department.”

We are sharing our full statement publicly because we want our position to be clear and available in its entirety.

45

3

This one is going to get people pissed off with us.
We recently obtained Messenger records between WDFW Commissioner John Lehmkuhl and the infamous Samantha Miller — formerly of Washington Wildlife First and a prominent leader of the Cats Aren’t Trophies campaign in Colorado, currently with Center for Biological Diversity.
John has repeatedly wanted people to believe he isn’t aligned with the anti-hunting crowd.
But then you read the conversations.
John followed Samantha’d hunting-ban campaign. He listened to her podcasts. He suggested her for a job. They made plans to meet for drinks. He sent her a personal gift. He wished the “cowgirl” a happy birthday.
And then the conversation gets into policy.
They discuss Commission politics, the Sportsmen’s Alliance petition, decision-making processes and the precautionary principle.
John talks about trying to build a better process and says:
“Given the difficulties of doing anything progressive we’ll see how it goes.”
That word — progressive — caught our attention. That sounds like it goes along with the concept of wildlife “reform”, coined by a certain group of people.
He also discusses the removal of Tim Ragen from the commission as being detrimental to “balance”. Funny because when Tim was on the commission 6 of the 9 commissioners had anti- hunting ties.
And Samantha’s statement to John:
“You’re back in the resistance! Welcome back…”
“We have wolves and good dinner company”
It’s also worth remembering that John was placed on the Commission and Commission’s vice-chair position with the support of anti-hunting groups.
A commissioner who insists he isn’t aligned with the anti-hunting movement, maintaining a close relationship with one of its prominent national activists, making plans to meet or ride horses (how many times has that happened?), etc — and essentially being told by her that he’s one of them.
To be fair, we give him credit for turning over the records. That’s more than we can say for some of the others.
But John, you wanted us to see them.
These messages show your colors and where you stand, but we didn’t need them to know.

229

14

We’re sure you all are aware by now.

Governor Ferguson has decided not to remove Lorna Smith and Melanie Rowland from the WDFW Commission.

Commissioner Garcia’s tragic death has created another vacancy, and two other commissioners are also under investigation. The Commission is supposed to have 9 members, and we understand the concern about leaving it with only 6.

But that does not excuse failing to hold Lorna Smith and Melanie Rowland accountable for the most egregious conduct. Tweedle Dee and Dum(b) should be gone.

A warning of removal is not enough for people who have boldly behaved the way they have for years—and are still behaving. There has been more than enough to remove them since the Sportsmen’s Alliance submitted their petition back in 2025.

This is weak leadership and bending to political pressure from powerful interests and likely billionaire involvement.

Ferguson has threatened removal if these commissioners fail to comply going forward, including:

“Strict observance of conflict-of-interest rules under WDFW policy and legal obligations. This includes recusing yourself from matters of personal or organizational relationships that can even create an appearance of a conflict of interest.”

And:

“Engagement in retaliatory conduct against anyone who participated in the investigation.”

To start, we have serious concerns that public-records law requirements are not being followed and that records are still not being turned over.

Lorna Smith remains involved in litigation against WDFW leadership alongside Washington Wildlife First and Claire Loebs Davis. Does this not appear to be collusion, conflict of interest and retaliation rolled into one? How is she allowed to remain?

We certainly hope, at the very least, that these letters becoming public means Lorna Smith and Melanie Rowland will not be back on the Commission when their terms expire at the end of this year.

This was an opportunity for Governor Ferguson to show strong leadership. We believe he chose the easy option—one that could embolden these commissioners further and whatever anti-hunting shills may be next on the roster.

279

57

SEPTEMBER WDFW COMMISSION MEETING
The Washington Fish & Wildlife Commission will be meeting September 10–12 in Olympia at the Natural Resources Building.
Public Comment: September 11 @ 8:30 am
The agenda has not been finalized yet, but some of the potential topics currently listed on the Commission Year at a Glance page.
* 2027–2029 3-Year Season Setting
* Cougar Management — potential cougar density estimate studies, conflict removals, and review of 2025 hunting season changes
* White Sturgeon Conservation Strategies
* Resident Native Trout Fisheries Policy
* Management of WDFW Lands — closures, re-openings, and appropriate uses
* Urban Wildlife Habitat and the role of wildlife management in urban areas
* 2027 Commission Schedule (we will post this soon so you can weigh in on this)
* Inland Shoreline Fishing Access

For Open public comment, you will be able to participate either in person in Olympia or remotely via Zoom. You can speak on any topic. There is likely no Saturday meeting, but we’ll confirm that once the final agenda is released. We understand many of you will be bear and cougar hunting, or out for archery deer and elk during this time (and those who aren’t will likely be working) but if you can make it your presence would be helpful. Zoom is a super easy option to be able to speak.
Public comment sign-ups will open by next Friday. Once WDFW posts the finalized agenda and registration information, we’ll share the agenda, registration link, and everything you need to know to participate.
Stay informed. Stay engaged. Make your voice heard.

36

1

STOP BUYING LICENSES AND TAGS… You really think that’s going to help us?
We keep seeing hunters and sportsmen call for boycotting WDFW licenses and tags to “send a message.” We understand the frustration—but this strategy could play directly into the hands of the people working to reduce our hunting and fishing opportunities.
WDFW already knows hunters are angry. Not buying a license doesn’t fix the problem. It reduces participation, reduces revenue, and weakens one of our strongest arguments: sportsmen actively fund and directly support wildlife conservation.
We take a lot of pride in being the cogs that keep this conservation system running. We talk about the billions sportsmen have contributed and how our funding supports wildlife and habitat—not just the species we hunt?
So what message are we sending if we voluntarily stop funding it?
We’re also paying more than ever. License and tag prices continue to increase. It sucks, but should be leverage—not something we voluntarily surrender. Plus, do you think quitting will drive down the cost?
We’ve heard Commissioner Smith try to devalue how much sportsmen contribute and, consequently, how much of a voice we deserve. We’ve even heard the argument that they don’t want our money and they should just get it from the legislature. We hear about how this is a dying activity with less participation every year and it is misconstrued to claim less of the public supports what we do.
So why would we help prove their point?
If participation and license revenue decline, WDFW will need to go to the Legislature for more funding. Anti-hunting advocates can point to declining participation and argue that sportsmen are a shrinking constituency. And we risk losing not only our financial leverage, but our credibility as the conservationists we claim to be.
We could lose our money, our influence, AND our conservation credibility.
That’s helping them make their argument for them.
Keep buying your license. Keep buying your tags. Keep participating. And then use the fact that we are the funders and foundation of this system to demand accountability.
When you say you’re done, you give the enemies of sportsme

58

5

A LOT of people are asking, “What can we actually do now that the WDFW commissioner investigation report is out?”
We know many of you feel frustrated, helpless, and really just DONE. You want to see accountability, and you want to know where your voice can actually make a difference.
Our recommendation is NOT to flood the Governor’s Office with thousands of individual emails.
Anti-hunting organizations have used that tactic heavily, and it has clearly frustrated the Governor’s Office. We do not want sportsmen to follow the same approach and risk making our advocacy less effective going forward.
This is the time to apply pressure strategically.
Organizations and elected representatives should be filling the role of communicating directly with the Governor’s Office. The Sportsmen’s Alliance has already requested action, and CCW is submitting our formal request yesterday. We also expect other organizations to be doing the same.
So what should YOU do?
Contact your state representatives and senators. Contact your county commissioners. Contact other elected officials who represent you.
Give them the information they need.
You can download the full investigation report from our website at ccofwashington.com and send it to them. You can also provide reputable news articles covering the findings.
Then ask them to request that Governor Ferguson remove the four commissioners identified in the investigation for confirmed misconduct.
We understand the feeling that nothing is going to change. We understand the frustration of watching this process drag on.
But the answer is not to give up- and it is not to overwhelm the Governor’s Office with thousands of individual messages.
The answer is to apply pressure through the right channels, in a way that is organized, credible, and difficult to ignore.
Sportsmen have a voice.
Let’s make sure we use it effectively.
Find your legislators here: https://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder

145

1

We completely understand why hunters are tired of showing up to what feels like the same old dog-and-pony show at Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission meetings.
People are frustrated. They’re exhausted from constantly having to fight for a seat at the table and feeling unheard while watching decisions unfold in ways they believe hurt hunters, anglers, and conservation.
But here’s the reality: We still have to show up.
We have until December 31st before Commissioners Smith, Lehmkuhl, and Rowland are set to leave- unless Governor Ferguson takes action sooner. That is still roughly 4½ months.
Four and a half months is plenty of time for decisions to be made, policies to be advanced, and a lasting impact to be created. You know these commissioners will use it.
And when hunters stop showing up, we leave the room to the people who do show up.
When the room is filled with anti-hunting advocates they get to tell the Commission what “Washingtonians” supposedly want. The Commissioners get to create the appearance that hunters don’t care.
Your absence doesn’t stop the meeting.
It doesn’t stop the votes. It doesn’t stop the proposals. It simply means someone else gets to speak for you.
So yes- still show up.
Even if you’re frustrated and pissed.
Even if you’re tired of the BS.
Show up because they need to see us.
Show up because the anti-hunting crowd should never be allowed to fill the room and then claim they represent the majority. They love it when we divide and throw in the towel. Don’t give them the satisfaction.
There is a hybrid Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting in Long Beach tomorrow. We hope to see you on zoom for public comment, if not in person!

176

0

WASHINGTON HUNTERS — WE NEED YOU TO SHOW UP

We had a good turnout for last night’s WDFW three-year season-setting meeting, but there was also plenty of representation from people who oppose hunting.

That should tell sportsmen something: we cannot afford to sit this process out.

Tonight is the Waterfowl meeting.
August 12
6–8 PM
Zoom Meeting ID: 850 6133 4781
Passcode: 825046

Then on August 17, WDFW will discuss:

• Turkey
• Small game
• Upland birds
• Carnivores
• Furbearers

August 17
6–8 PM
Zoom Meeting ID: 857 2754 6773
Passcode: 077770

One thing that really stood out to us during last night’s meeting was what one of the department leaders explained about how WDFW weighs these proposals.

If there is a biological need, the Department indicated that it is likely to move forward with the proposal.

But when something is primarily a social issue, public support and opposition matter. If there is significant opposition to a proposal, WDFW indicated that it is less likely to move forward. If there is strong public support, it is more likely to move forward.

That means YOUR VOICE MATTERS.

Groups opposed to hunting know how to mobilize. They share these opportunities with their supporters and bring people into the process — including people from outside Washington — to advocate for changes that can restrict hunting opportunities.

Sportsmen need to be just as engaged.

We cannot complain after the rules change if we weren’t willing to show up while the decisions were being shaped.

Attend the meetings. Listen to the proposals. Ask questions. And most importantly, submit the surveys.

WDFW is accepting public input through August 30, and these surveys are an opportunity to make your position known before proposals move into formal rulemaking.

This three-year process can affect seasons, methods, harvest opportunities and other hunting regulations for years.

Don’t let the most organized voices in the room be the only voices WDFW hears.

If you hunt in Washington, we need you involved.

Show up tonight. Share this with your hunting partners. And submit your survey responses before August 30!

Video credit- Fox 13 News

512

33