The State’s War on the King Ranch: When Law Becomes a Weapon Against the Land

The State’s War on the King Ranch: When Law Becomes a Weapon Against the Land

In Coulee City, Washington, a generational ranching family stands accused of crimes they didn’t commit—because the state decided to make an example of them. What began as a minor bureaucratic dispute has become a full-blown crusade, weaponizing environmental law against the very people who help feed America.

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.

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