Washington state employee has property owners in crosshairs

By Scott Roberts | Freedom Foundation

When Washington State Department of Ecology’s Bob Penhale wrote, “I will offer that we must find joy in the hunt, and that the crafty old bucks are the most satisfying to harvest,” he was referring to property owners, not game.

Penhale’s email was sent to Colin Maycock, a San Juan County planner, who immediately objected to the reference when he replied, “I would like to stress that San Juan County staff are not and have never been interested in ‘hunting’ the citizens and rather resent the implication that we ‘target’ individuals for code enforcement actions.”

This email exchange highlights two persistent problems with our state government — the overabundance of laws and bureaucrats who misuse them.

The point of contention between Penhale and Maycock was whether or not the citizen’s property access should be classified as a “skid trail” or a road. The citizen possessed a valid Forest Protection Plan approved by the Department of Natural Resources indicating that the access was a skid trail.

at Freedom Foundation.