ADOBE STOCK confirmed by the senate . In fact , as we headed to press , not a single commissioner had been confirmed . Last year , senate committee hearings were held late in the session for Smith and Molly Linville , with Smith enduring some hard questions and narrowly gaining committee approval . However , neither she nor any other commissioner has been voted on and confirmed by the entire senate .
“ I ’ m told late scheduling of committee hearings and no floor vote on commissioners isn ’ t an accident . The senate doesn ’ t want to take up hot-potato appointments like Lorna Smith , Melanie Rowland and others since commissioners can serve without confirmation ,” said Washington resident and Sportsmen ’ s Alliance Foundation Vice President of Communications , Brian Lynn . “ So , what we have here are unelected and unconfirmed political appointees making major policy decisions concerning the future of wildlife management with zero oversight or accountability . The whole thing is being run like a political cabal .”
After media picked up the announcement of our lawsuit , Sen . Kevin Van De Wege , chairman of the nine-member Senate Agriculture , Water , Natural Resources and Parks Committee , quickly held committee hearings for every commissioner .
“ It is somewhat unusual to have so many Fish and Wildlife Commission members appear before the natural resources committee during the legislative session ,” said Andy Walgamott , editor of Northwest Sportsman Magazine . “ But it ’ s also a chance for
“ WE VIEW THIS LAWSUIT AS THE INITIAL STEP OF A LONG BUT IMPORTANT PROCESS TO BRING SANITY AND DECENCY BACK TO WILDLIFE DECISION- MAKING IN WASHINGTON .”
-TODD ADKINS , VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS , SPORTSMEN ’ S ALLIANCE FOUNDATION
them to go on record before lawmakers to detail their background , professional and working lives , tell why they are interested in serving on the commission and take questions from senators .”
The move at least opens the door to a full senate confirmation , something that hasn ’ t happened since 2017 . While the Washington legislature tends to walk in lockstep with Gov . Inslee , at least the pretense of scrutiny might give the governor pause when making commissioner appointments like Smith .
The former executive direction of Western Wildlife Outreach , a predator-protection organization , Smith is among a group of new commissioners pushing an extremist view of fish and wildlife management and is adamantly opposed to the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation . Smith was the driving force behind the canceling of the spring black bear hunt and has pressed for other initiatives to destabilize traditional management approaches and systems in the state .
The Sportsmen ’ s Alliance Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of its members and all sportsmen in the state . Joining the lawsuit are two Sportsmen ’ s Alliance members , Marc Nelson and Kolby Schafer , who are residents of Washington . The case is USSAF v . Smith , No . 23-2-00660-34 .
SIDESWIPING SCIENCE
Anyone who doesn ’ t know about Ms . Smith need only look up Wildlife for All , an animal-extremist organization dedicated to spreading an animal-rights ideology throughout the nation , starting with Washington state . Smith routinely parrots the organization ’ s talking points and attempts to interject its mission into commission and committee meetings , including :
Leading a discussion on her “ draft ” to establish a new game-management plan that comes straight out of Wildlife for All ’ s playbook , which includes the need for nonhunting funding sources , protecting apex predators , inclusion of trophic cascades and hunter ethics . That management plan also called for reclassifying coyotes and ground squirrels as managed species and placing more regulations around their hunting .
Pushing a perverted definition of “ democracy ” when it comes to wildlife management , Smith is fond of citing the number of non-hunters in the state as if they were opposed to hunting ( which they ’ re not ) as reason to end hunting practices . One such issue she brought up as a conflict was the fact hunters scared snow geese out of a national wildlife refuge to the dismay of bird watchers ( who were then “ scared ” when they saw the hunters with firearms ).
But it doesn ’ t end there . In addition to pummeling the spring black bear science to the point that the state ’ s biologist quit , Smith brushed aside concerns about predation of elk calves by cougars in the Blue Mountains and suggested simply reducing herd goals and eliminating hunting tags — a talking point right out of Wildlife for All and other anti-hunting organizations ’ delusional worldview .
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