2 important advocates for WA fish and wildlife should be reinstated

We are living in an age of unraveling — ecosystems fraying under the pressure of climate disruption, species loss, and human overreach. From record ocean temperatures and vanishing salmon runs to catastrophic wildfires, intensifying hurricanes, and tornadoes in places they don’t belong, the evidence is all around us. This is not a distant crisis. It is here, now, and growing.

Every one of us has a role to play. Whether we’re scientists, policymakers, or advocates, we carry a responsibility to act — to defend the natural systems that sustain us and to insist our leaders do the same.

That’s why Gov. Bob Ferguson’s quiet dismissal of Timothy Ragen from the Washington Fish & Wildlife Commission — one of his first acts in office — sent a troubling message at the worst possible time. Ragen, a globally respected marine mammal scientist and former executive director of the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, was among the most qualified commissioners this state has ever seen. His removal, without explanation, casts doubt on whether Washington’s environmental leadership will be shaped by science and ethics or political convenience.

Just before leaving office — and after consulting directly with Ferguson and his senior advisers — Gov. Jay Inslee reappointed Ragen and appointed Lynn O’Connor to the commission. Ferguson agreed. But within days of taking office, he reversed course. He asked the Senate to rescind both appointments and, without public explanation, summarily fired Ragen — an action that stunned observers and eroded public trust.

Ragen’s experience spans decades of work recovering endangered species and advising federal agencies on marine ecosystem protection. His role on the commission was to ensure decisions affecting species like the southern resident killer whales — whose population has fallen to just 73 — were grounded in science, not pressure from special interests. His absence leaves a void at a time when leadership rooted in evidence and ethics is essential.

Also dismissed was O’Connor, a Ferry County landowner, businesswoman and conservation advocate whose balanced, community-based approach made her a rare and respected voice bridging rural values with ecological stewardship. The loss of both voices has deeply unsettled the conservation community.

I was one of 74 scientists, conservationists and environmental advocates who signed a letter urging Gov. Ferguson to reconsider. We did so not out of partisanship, but because this decision undermines public trust and weakens the Commission’s ability to meet our state’s environmental challenges.

Even more troubling than the decision itself has been the silence that followed. No public rationale. No transparency. No clear path forward.

The Fish & Wildlife Commission shapes policy on everything from salmon and steelhead to ungulates and keystone predators like wolves, cougars and bears. These decisions ripple through ecosystems, tribal nations, rural economies and urban communities. We cannot afford to let them be guided by anything other than science, public interest and ecological integrity.

We’re all in this together — and our shared future depends on decisions that put science, integrity and stewardship ahead of politics. Washingtonians deserve leaders who rise to meet the challenges of our time with courage and clarity — not retreat into silence or short-term calculation.

Gov. Ferguson’s removal of Ragen and O’Connor was a grave mistake — one that must be reversed. Anything less signals a troubling disregard for science, transparency and the trust of Washingtonians who expect principled leadership in the face of ecological crisis.

And while that responsibility rests squarely with the governor, the larger work belongs to all of us. Each of us has a role to play in turning this crisis around. We must speak out, stay engaged and demand better from those entrusted with the care of our natural world. The wild places and species we stand to lose aren’t just symbols of beauty or biodiversity — they are vital threads in the web of life that sustains us all.