Eastern Washington Counties Call For Removal of WDFW Commissioners

The Eastern Washington Council of Governments (EWCOG) is calling on Gov. Bob Ferguson to remove two members of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, arguing that multiple investigations have documented conduct that has damaged public confidence in the commission. In an Aug. 14 letter to Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown, EWCOG called for the immediate removal of Fish and Wildlife Commissioners Lorna Smith and Melanie Rowland.

The council represents 15 eastern Washington counties, including Stevens and Ferry counties. EWCOG is chaired by Whitman County Commissioner Art Swannack. Stevens County Commissioner Mark Burrows serves as vice chairman, Ferry County Commissioner Robert Dean serves as secretary, and Lincoln County Commissioner Jo Gilchrist is treasurer. The letter points to a series of reviews of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Commission, beginning with a December 2024 report from the William D.

Ruckelshaus Center that EWCOG said identified dysfunction within the commission and presented three potential options for addressing the problems. EWCOG criticized what it described as a lack of action following that report. The council also cited a May 2025 review conducted by Thomas R. Knoll Jr., a criminal justice legal liaison, after WDFW Director Kelly Susewind provided him with correspondence between commissioners and outside groups. According to EWCOG’s letter, Knoll identified policy violations and potentially improper or illegal conduct involving Smith, Rowland, and former Commissioner Barbara Baker Ragan, with much of the review focusing on Smith and Rowland.

The letter quoted Knoll saying Smith and Rowland presented “serious risks to WDFW” regarding compliance with commission rules and questioned whether commissioners were meeting expectations of honesty and trustworthiness. EWCOG said another investigation was launched instead of removing the commissioners. The state contracted with Transformative Workplace Investigations (TWI) in June 2025. The investigation was originally expected to be completed later that year but was not released until July 31 of this year, according to the council. EWCOG highlighted four areas from the TWI report.

According to the council’s summary, investigators found commissioners did not consistently comply with the state’s Public Records Act, including instances in which personal devices were used for government business, records searches were incomplete, and declarations concerning records were inaccurate or incomplete. The council also pointed to findings involving what it described as serial meetings, in which a majority of commissioners discussed agency business through private communications.

“Documentary evidence corroborates coordination on votes, policy drafting, and leadership elections conducted through private communications,” the letter quoted the report as finding. TWI did not conclude that the evidence established a knowing violation of the Open Public Meetings Act. EWCOG, however, disputed that conclusion in its letter. The council also cited findings that several commissioners had repeated, undisclosed communications with advocacy organizations in violation of commission procedures and that there had been a “significant breakdown in trust” between some commissioners and WDFW administrators.

EWCOG argued the findings warranted stronger action than additional training or other corrective measures. The organization said it believes Smith and Rowland, and “to a lesser degree” commissioners John Lehmkuhl and Woody Myers, violated state laws or commission policies. The TWI investigation itself did not find an Open Public Meetings Act violation. The letter specifically asks Ferguson to remove Smith and Rowland from the commission immediately. The 15 counties represented by EWCOG are Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties.