I don't think the Fish & Wildlife Commission is dysfunctional. I think it, along with the Department, is struggling to figure out what it should be in the 21st century. In the 20th century it was the "hook & bullet fraternity" and few citizens had a problem with that. And the Department of Fisheries was essentially the Department of Commercial Fishing where sportfishing was an afterthought.

Fish and wildlife resources and their habitat are declining. The human population, with its demand for food, shelter, and transportation are increasing without limit, one might say - non sustainably. Personally, I think the enabling legislation for WDFW needs to be revisited. The 1995 merger of the old fisheries and game departments amended existing legislation. I guess the Legislature assumed that the core principles and values were solid bedrock that would function by simply amending. I think most objective observers would say it's been a struggle. The new Grays Harbor management policy is an excellent case in point.

Given a clean slate, I'd start with something along the lines of:

1. The Legislature hereby creates the WDFW;
2. WDFW is led by a Director appointed by the Commission, whose members (one from each region) are appointed by the Governor through advise of the citizens;
3. The purpose of the WDFW is to preserve, protect, and perpetuate the fish and wildlife resources of WA, including their habitat to the extent enacted by law;
4. WDFW allows resource use and extraction through fishing and hunting that is sustainable under #2 above;
5. WDFW acknowledges indigenous rights reserved under the Stevens treaties and works with treaty co-managers where mutual interests overlap.

My idea above is to separate resource preservation from harvest because currently they are co-equal, which has demonstrably led to over-harvest, time and again. Then comes some nitty gritty details, like agency funding, hatcheries (why? and for what purpose? Should there be deer and elk hatcheries, too?). Problem I see is that lobbying might result in an agency no better than what we currently have.