Inslee Appoints Three New Commissioiners - Carpenter is Out.

[Practical Approach]

I haven't found a formal announcement yet, but this was on the Governors webpage.

https://www.governor.wa.gov/boards-commissions/board-and-commissions/profile/Fish%20and%20Wildlife%20Commission

[WAcoyotehunter]

Do we know anything about them?

[bearpaw]

Carpenter is out, I've never heard these names, does anyone know anything about these three?

Timothy Ragen    01/24/2022   12/31/2024   Western Washington
John Lehmkuhl    01/24/2022   12/31/2026   Eastern Washington
Melanie Rowland  01/24/2022   12/31/2026   At -Large Washington

[Practical Approach]

I have only found bits and pieces via Google.  Timothy Ragen is a marine mammal guy. 

[bowhunterty]

For Immediate Release, January 24, 2022

Contact:

Sophia Ressler, (206) 399-4004, sressler@biologicaldiversity.org

Gov. Inslee Makes Three New Appointments to Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission

OLYMPIA, Wash.— Gov. Jay Inslee appointed three new members to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission today. These new commissioners — Tim Ragen, John Lehmkhul and Melanie Rowland — will complete the nine-member body that makes decisions regarding management of the state’s fish, wildlife and other resources.

One of the appointments fills an empty commission seat left after Fred Koontz resigned in December. The other appointments fill one available seat and one expired position open for over a year.

“We applaud Gov. Inslee for appointing commissioners with science and environmental policy backgrounds,” said Sophia Ressler, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “We’re hopeful that these new commissioners will be champions of our state’s wildlife and wild places.”

Tim Ragen is a retired scientist residing in Anacortes who most recently served as the executive director for the Marine Mammal Commission; he has a doctoral degree in oceanography and has dedicated both his career and life to conservation of marine species such as Steller sea lions, Southern Resident killer whales, Hawaiian monk seals and vaquitas.

John Lehmkhul, a resident of Wenatchee, has a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology, a master’s in wildlife ecology, and a doctoral degree in forest science from the University of Washington. He is a lifelong hunter and angler who stated in his application to the commission that he believes in the “sound scientific management of fish and wildlife in Washington.”

Melanie Rowland, a resident of Twisp, was an attorney at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s office of general counsel for more than 15 years. Her work focused on the Endangered Species Act as well as issues surrounding climate change.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

[buckfvr]

I knew wed never see anyone we hoped for get in there.....never ever going to happen.

Cant question their qualifications, or so it appears, but I still have the feeling the writing is on the wall.

[Bob33]

I assume this is the same Melanie.

https://mvcitizens.org/board-and-staff/

Melanie Rowland
Legal Counsel
Melanie is an environmental attorney who retired in 2011 after 15 years with the Office of General Counsel for NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) where she worked on conservation of salmon and marine mammals protected by the federal Endangered Species Act. Prior to that, she taught environmental law at the University of Washington. As Senior Counsel for The Wilderness Society, she worked on the national campaign to preserve Northwest ancient forests. She also served on the boards of Seattle Audubon, the Washington Environmental Council, the Washington Foundation for the Environment, and Pacific Biodiversity Institute in Winthrop. She holds a BA from Stanford University and a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Melanie and her husband, Randy Brook (also a public interest lawyer), have been coming to the Methow Valley since the early 1980s and bought a recreational cabin on the Twisp-Carlton Road in 1999. They built a house on their property and moved here full-time in 2011.

Melanie and Randy are avid birders, hikers, cross-country skiers, and sea kayakers. Melanie spends as much time as possible learning about plants and animals. She often has her nose buried in a wildflower or a science book.

[buckfvr]

Looks like sophia ressler got a couple of her appointment wishes/demands.

[bearpaw]

When the Center for Biological Diversity cheers the appointments it's probably not going to be good for hunters, fishers, and trappers!

[Humptulips]

It appears John Lemkhul is a hunter. The other two don't sound good to me. I hope I am wrong. If that plays out we have a majority in the Commission, some of which are not what I would call solid. Portends a fight on all substantive issues.
It is not encouraging that CBD applauds the appointments.

[pianoman9701]

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation (animal rights) organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places (end of hunting).

[bearpaw]

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation (animal rights) organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places (end of hunting).

  good summation...

[pianoman9701]

If it were any more obvious that animal rights groups have bought Jay Inslee, he'd have their logo on the pocket of his blazer. 

[Ridgeratt]

If it were any more obvious that animal rights groups have bought Jay Inslee, he'd have their logo on the pocket of his blazer. 

Don't ask if he has any tattoos.

[huntnphool]

If it were any more obvious that animal rights groups have bought Jay Inslee, he'd have their logo on the pocket of his blazer. 

 And yet our liberal members on this site will continue voting for him.