On April 21 the Sportsmen’s Alliance received information that the Washington Senate will finally call for a vote on nine governor-appointed Fish and Game Commissioners who, for the last five years, have been crafting the state’s wildlife management policy despite not being confirmed. But merely not being confirmed is not the worst of it; a majority of their efforts are counterproductive to proven wildlife management strategies.
“Unfortunately, Washington allows unconfirmed commissioners to craft years of policy by unvetted individuals, which has contributed to wildlife management being thrown into complete disarray,” said Sportsmen’s Alliance VP of Government Affairs Todd Adkins.
Adkins indicated that some of these commissioners go against the recommendations of wildlife biologists and instead base lasting wildlife management policy on opinion and emotion. A recent example occurred earlier in 2023 when these protectionist, anti-hunting commissioners canceled Washington’s spring bear hunt. Meanwhile, black bear populations continue to flourish and must be managed by sportsmen.
The window for sportsmen and women voicing their concerns over commissioners Barbara Baker, Lorna Smith, Melanie Rowland, John Lehmkuhl and Tim Ragen is rapidly closing, as the confirmation voting is expected to begin on April 21 and end as early as April 23.
Please waste no time in visiting the Sportsmen’s Alliance website here and clicking on the TAKE ACTION button to send your senators an email opposing the confirmation of the aforementioned commissioners.
