WA BHA: ‘Last-minute’ Inslee Commission Appointments ‘Undermine Public Trust’

THE FOLLOWING IS A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE WASHINGTON CHAPTER OF BACKCOUNTRY HUNTERS AND ANGLERS

In the last days of his 12-year term, Governor Jay Inslee has taken a final step to undermine the public trust in Washington’s wildlife management system. By pushing through last-minute appointments to the Fish and Wildlife Commission, the Governor has side-stepped feedback from Washington’s conservationists, evaded critical input from co-managers, and disregarded laws guiding appointments. The decision comes after years of escalating politicization and controversy surrounding state wildlife management, often spurred by the governor’s overreach. 

“The outgoing Governor’s midnight appointments have abandoned any semblance of transparency or stakeholder input,” said Dan Wilson, Co-Chair for the Washington Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA). “These actions aren’t just disappointing; they’re an affront to the very principles of accountable governance and responsible wildlife management. What Governor Inslee has done is ensure that the public, Tribes, and essential communities are ignored in these appointments – again.” 

Governor Inslee’s decision making directly contradicts the recommendations of the William D. Ruckleshaus Center’s WDFW Organizational Review, which identified significant dysfunction and lack of meaningful Tribal engagement within the Commission. The review – issued in December 2024 – highlighted the pressing need for leadership correction, including improved Tribal relations, governance reform, and transparency in the appointment process. Rather than allowing the next Governor and legislature to address these issues, Governor Inslee has taken actions to heighten tension and deepen division in wildlife management. 

“The decision to push through these appointments instead of ceding the opportunity to Governor-elect Ferguson will only cultivate further controversy,” Wilson continued. “Governor Inslee exercised his authority to select commissioners over three terms. This final action erodes the agency of all subsequent governors to course-correct the Commission through 2030.” 

While Washington BHA will continue to work with all appointed commissioners who seek to advance the best interests of Washington’s wildlife, this process severely undermines both representative government and independent civilian oversight. The Washington Chapter insists that the Senate reject these last-minute appointments and allow Governor-elect Ferguson to appoint commissioners through an open, transparent, and inclusive process that honors the people, fish, and wildlife of the state in accordance with existing laws. 

“The Ruckelshaus Review offered three pathways for Commission improvement, including the conversion of the Department into a cabinet agency,” Wilson added. “Governor Inslee has shown exactly why that’s the wrong solution. He has demonstrated why wildlife management must not be at the mercy of political pressures. What we need is a process that truly serves the needs of state wildlife, lands, and residents. That process starts with letting the Governor-elect chart a new path through his appointments.”