A nearly yearlong investigation into the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has found that several members routinely disregarded government transparency laws and skirted conflict of interest rules. The 68-page report, released Friday, concludes that while commissioners committed repeated violations of public records and open meeting laws, their actions did not reach the level of serious misconduct required for removal.

The findings follow a period of intense ideological conflict over the management of regional natural resources, including a controversial November 2022 decision to end spring black bear hunting. The commission, which oversees the Department of Fish and Wildlife, sets policies that govern hunting, fishing, and habitat conservation across Southwest Washington. The investigation, conducted by Chiedza Nziramasanga of Transformative Workplace Investigations, cost the state $80,000.

According to reporting by the Washington State Standard, the probe focused on current commissioners Lorna Smith, Melanie Rowland, John Lehmkuhl, and Barbara Baker, along with former members Tim Ragen and Woody Myers. The investigator found that Smith and Rowland purposely declined to turn over certain public records for 18 months. Additionally, the report substantiated that a quorum of commissioners breached the Open Public Meetings Act by privately coordinating on the substance of the spring bear motion before it was introduced.

Department Director Kelly Susewind formally requested an inquiry into the commissioners’ behavior, and Governor Bob Ferguson ordered the investigation in August 2025 following a petition from the Sportsmen’s Alliance. The report describes a “significant breakdown in trust” between the commission and department leadership. While Susewind and Deputy Director Amy Windrope alleged staff mistreatment and retaliation, the investigator found only isolated instances of inappropriate tone rather than a coordinated pattern of harassment.

The report does not recommend the removal of any commissioners, a decision that remains with Governor Ferguson. Instead, it suggests corrective personnel actions for Smith and Rowland and recommends comprehensive training on transparency laws. The findings arrive amid ongoing legal friction; Smith has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Susewind and Windrope, accusing them of manufacturing allegations of misconduct in retaliation for her criticism of department leadership.