Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com

For the first time, the internal WDFW memo that triggered the Governor’s investigation is now public.
The memorandum from WDFW Criminal Justice Liaison summarizing concerns found during the PDR process. The memo focuses on Commissioners Lorna Smith and Melanie Rowland and raises serious allegations about their conduct while serving on the Washington Fish & Wildlife Commission.
According to reporting by the Washington State Standard, the memo describes behavior that posed “serious risks” to the agency—particularly around transparency, conflicts of interest, and favoritism.
The allegations outlined in the memo include:
• Failure to properly comply with public records laws
• Use of private emails and devices for public business
• Repeated private meetings with special interest groups
• Coordination with an outside advocacy group involved in active litigation against WDFW
• Actions that may create conflicts of interest or the appearance of bias
The memo also highlights what it describes as a “tight relationship” between commissioners and an attorney representing advocacy groups suing the agency, raising further concerns about influence over policy decisions.
This memo was written in May 2025, shared with the Governor’s office, and ultimately helped lead to the independent investigation that is now set to conclude on April 6.
The commissioners named have strongly denied the allegations and claim the memo contains false and misleading conclusions.
We believe the memo speaks for itself.
Now the public can read it and decide.
We have also attached the spreadsheet that we obtained through public records.

In recent years, wild fish and animal rights activists and their commissioner allies have pushed idealogy that prioritizes carnivores and reduced hatchery function.
This shirt is a reminder of everything CCW is aiming to prevent.
These limited-run stickers will help us launch memberships to our organization.

The Conservation Coalition of Washington is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit dedicated to preserving the heritage of hunting, angling, and trapping and the promotion of science-based conservation in Washington State. We stand united against the continued erosion of our cultural practices while being proactive in the wildlife management arena. In order to promote accurate policy making decisions, we will also hold policy makers accountable to evidence-based truths and the decisions that come from them. Through advocacy, education, and community engagement, we aim to empower our community to take an active role in being good stewards of our land and resources. We value the needs of both people and wildlife and strive to safeguard the traditions that are innately apart of us.

We empower hunters, anglers, and trappers by providing timely information on policy changes and current events. We provide ways for sportsmen to take direct action on hunting and fishing issues.
We counterbalance extremist narratives, by supporting sportsmen to tell their own stories and sharing the facts about wildlife management.
We monitor the actions of policymakers and publicly hold them accountable to science, objective truths and their mandates to maximize opportunity.
Through education and advocacy, we promote the beneficial impacts of hunting, fishing, and trapping to conservation to protect the non-hunting voting majority from anti-hunting lies.

We have raised awareness to the key issues and threats to fish and wildlife management and empowered the sportsmen community with tools to act and defend their traditions and opportunities.
Involvement and engagement in hunting related matters has increased in a unified way. DFW Commission meeting attendance has expanded, along with sportsmen participation in legislative or department related actions.
We have worked to expose agendas of policy makers who have strayed from their duty to fish and wildlife, and stakeholders. We have held these individuals accountable to the public. Our ultimate goal is to ensure the long-term preservation of our outdoor heritage, securing freedoms and self sufficiency for future generations, so that our work is no longer necessary.
Theodore Roosevelt
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