Governor Ferguson Issues Warning to Washington Fish and Wildlife Commissioners Amid Misconduct Probe
Governor Bob Ferguson has issued warning letters to two members of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, Melanie Rowland and Lorna Smith, following an investigation into their conduct. The probe, initiated a year ago at the request of Kelly Susewind, director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, found that some commissioners routinely disregarded transparency laws and skirted conflict of interest rules. While the investigation concluded that their behavior did not reach the level of serious misconduct, it highlighted issues such as slow responses to public records requests and undisclosed meetings with advocacy groups that had sued the department. The letters, signed by Chief Operations Officer Franklin Plaistowe, explicitly state that failure to comply with state transparency statutes and conflict of interest rules will result in their removal before their terms end on December 31. This action comes despite calls from various groups, including a national hunters and anglers organization and trib... 
