Ronald D. Reed: Tahlequah’s grief, our warning

By Ronald D. Reed

Perhaps no image captures the stakes of Washington’s ecological crisis more powerfully than that of Tahlequah, the orca mother who carried her dead calf for 17 days and over 1,000 miles through the Salish Sea in 2018 – a heartbreaking display of grief that resonated around the world.

It was a mourning not just for her calf, but for an ecosystem in collapse. Last Christmas, hopes were briefly rekindled when news broke that Tahlequah had given birth again – but joy turned to sorrow when the calf died on New Year’s Eve, and Tahlequah once more carried the lifeless body in an anguished ritual. This second tragedy underscores the continued decline of the Southern Resident orcas and the indifference of those in power.

Our new governor was apparently unmoved by this heartbreaking scene.

At such a critical moment, science-driven leadership on the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is not optional – it is essential. That’s why so many of us were stunned when one of Bob Ferguson’s first acts as governor was to rescind Gov. Jay Inslee’s recent appointments to the commission – the body responsible for nearly all state fish and wildlife policy. Just before leaving office – and after consulting with the incoming governor – Inslee had reappointed Commission Vice Chair Tim Ragen, a respected marine mammal scientist, and tapped new Commissioner Lynn O’Connor, a popular Ferry County businesswoman, landowner and conservationist.

Yet just days into his term, Ferguson reneged on that agreement and asked the state Senate to rescind both appointments. Ragen would typically have continued serving until a replacement was confirmed, but in a Trumpian move that mirrored the disturbing spectacle unfolding in the other Washington, Ferguson summarily fired him without discussion or explanation. His abrupt removal of one of the commission’s most qualified and respected voices signaled a disturbing indifference to the accelerating collapse of our natural world.

Ragen, a globally respected marine biologist and former executive director of the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, brought unparalleled expertise to an agency that has long struggled with its responsibility to protect Washington’s wildlife.

Such expertise is desperately needed to combat the extinction crisis exemplified by the plight of the Southern Resident killer whales. The Southern Residents are starving because we have decimated their primary food source, Chinook salmon, through habitat destruction, reckless hatchery expansion, and overfishing. With just 73 Southern Residents remaining, their future looks grim, and every policy decision affecting their survival must be based on the best available science.

There is no one more qualified to help us navigate this crisis than Ragen, who has spent his career recovering vulnerable species such as the Hawaiian monk seal and the Steller sea lion. On the state wildlife commission, Ragen showed he was willing to stand up for science and the interests of Washington’s wildlife against the pressure exerted by powerful special interests focused on exploitation.

Such bold leadership is essential in charting a new direction for Washington wildlife policy, which has historically prioritized extractive industry interests over ecological responsibility. This isn’t just a Puget Sound issue – it’s a statewide crisis reflecting a disregard for science in environmental policy. Whether it’s the management of wolves, cougars and bears in Eastern Washington – keystone species vital to restoring our struggling ecosystems–or salmon recovery in the Columbia River, we need to reverse the decades-old pattern of allowing political expediency to override ecological wisdom.

Ragen was one of the few voices in Washington’s wildlife governance advocating for policies grounded in rigorous science to address the existential threats facing our wildlife. But Ragen’s defense of sensible, science-based management brought controversy, and opposition from the powerful political forces that have long controlled Washington’s misguided wildlife policies – forces that maneuvered for his removal.

As a staunch supporter of Ferguson during his campaign, I remain hopeful that his decision to dismiss Commissioner Ragen was just a temporary misstep. Gov. Ferguson has said he would consider reappointing Ragen and O’Connor following a new interview process, and he is set to announce his new appointments to the commission within the next few weeks. That decision will tell us whether Washingtonians can trust him to put the long-term health of our ecosystems ahead of political expediency.

If not, we must brace ourselves for more tragedies like Tahlequah’s – and the irreversible loss of the wildlife and ecosystems that define our state.

Ronald D. Reed, of Spokane, is the retired CEO of PacifiCAD Inc. and an environmental advocate with over a decade of experience in conservation. He was a co-founder and former board member at Washington Wildlife First and has served on multiple advisory boards, including the Gonzaga University School of Communication and Leadership and Eastern Washington University College of STEM.