The King Ranch, a sixth-generation cattle operation, now faces ruin at the hands of the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Department of Ecology, and the Attorney General’s office. Their story is a chilling case study in what happens when ideology replaces law, and citizens become targets of the state.
Just before Christmas in 2021, the Kings received a letter from DNR accusing them of “unauthorized excavation” on both private and public land. The “evidence”? A single blurry Google Earth image allegedly showing damage to alkali wetlands. They were ordered to stop “digging” and “mitigate all damage.” When Kings asked for proof, Ecology told them to file a public records request.
Then Ecology fined them $267,000, relying on a planner who admitted, “When it comes to wetland delineation, I am solid rust.” Despite having no proof of wrongdoing, DNR terminated the Kings’ leases and sought to confiscate every improvement on the land—fences, corrals, everything. In one instance, the agency even accepted the Kings’ lease payment for 2024 before announcing it would not renew the contract, violating its own procedures and the Kings’ due process rights.
While the family was battling civil actions, Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Environmental Protection Division—created to prosecute “environmental crimes”—secretly opened a criminal investigation. The AG’s office invoked Washington’s racketeering statute, treating this family ranch as an organized crime ring.
Using sealed “Special Inquiry Judge” proceedings, state prosecutors barred defense attorneys from hearings, refused to release evidence, and even threatened witnesses with jail if they disclosed the existence of subpoenas. The Kings only discovered the investigation by accident when a subpoena meant for an employee was mistakenly served to his wife—who, terrified, called the family for help.
Had that error not occurred, the Kings might never have known they were the targets of a criminal probe. In any democracy, this would be scandalous. In Ferguson’s Washington, it’s standard operating procedure.
What makes this persecution especially perverse is its utter lack of legal basis. Under RCW 90.44.050, Washington ranchers have the right to dig permit-exempt stock ponds—an essential practice in arid regions.
A fund has been established to help the Kings with legal expenses. https://www.ruralamericainaction.com/fundraising/save-king-ranch-and-agriculture-in-washington
