We Must Defend America's Ranchers from State Overreach
Washington Shuts Down Generational Ranch Family pursues Criminal Allegations.
By any reasonable measure, the saga unfolding in Washington State against the King Ranch is a clear case of bureaucratic overreach—and a warning to every rancher, farmer, and land steward across the nation.
The King family has ranched on state and federal leases for nearly seven decades. They've never been in trouble, never misused the land, and by all accounts, have been exemplary stewards of the environment and wildlife. Now, they are under threat—not from drought or market collapse—but from their own state government, which has weaponized environmental regulations and opaque legal maneuvers to force them off the land.
The core accusation? That the Kings altered “alkali wetlands,” based not on ground-truthed field science but largely on Google Earth images and ambiguous bureaucratic interpretation of what constitutes a wetland. These “wetlands” in question? Man-made stock ponds, critical for watering livestock and maintaining healthy grazing operations—ponds that predate modern environmental regulations and have been in continual use for generations.
Let’s be clear: this case is not about environmental protection. This is about the misuse of state power to punish and displace a family operating in full view and cooperation with state agencies for decades.
It began with a photo. State employees, one of whom admitted in an internal email to being “rusty” on wetland delineation, used satellite imagery to conclude that the King Ranch had altered protected land. Without setting foot on the property, the Department of Ecology issued a damning letter and slapped the family with a $267,000 fine. Then, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) unilaterally terminated their long-standing leases and confiscated ranch improvements like fencing and water infrastructure—investments made in good faith under the state’s own terms.
To make matters worse, the state is withholding evidence under the pretext of an “ongoing criminal investigation.” No charges have been filed, yet public records requests are denied, preventing the Kings from seeing or responding to the allegations against them. It’s legal purgatory by design, a system rigged to grind ranchers into submission without ever having to prove guilt in a court of law.
This isn’t just about the Kings. It’s about a broader trend. Since 2020, we’ve seen an alarming rise in cases where federal and state agencies assert vague or arbitrary environmental claims to criminalize longstanding agricultural practices. They label a depression in the ground as a wetland and suddenly, everything changes—access, water rights, property rights, even the presumption of innocence.
If these were truly violations, why didn’t regulators act decades ago? Why wait 68 years—after families have built lives and legacies on the land—to suddenly deem their practices illegal?
Because this isn’t about justice. It’s about control.
What the King Ranch faces is not an isolated incident; it is the natural outcome of a bloated, unchecked administrative state. Agencies now act as judge, jury, and executioner. They change the rules, then refuse to follow even their own procedures. Worse, they criminalize farmers simply for continuing practices the state previously endorsed.
This cannot stand.
Washington State’s behavior should concern every American who values property rights, due process, and honest work. If a family can be railroaded out of business after 68 years because of unproven accusations and drone photos, then no rancher is safe. No farm is secure.
We need accountability. Congress must investigate how state agencies like Washington’s Department of Ecology and Department of Natural Resources operate with such impunity. And we need legislative reform—both at the state and federal levels—to limit these agencies’ ability to invent regulations and use them retroactively.
Environmental protection should be a partnership with landowners—not a pretext to destroy them.
It’s time we defended ranchers like the Kings. Not because they are perfect, but because what’s being done to them is profoundly un-American. It’s time to stand up—not just for ranching families in Washington, but for the right to farm, ranch, and live free from tyrannical state overreach.
If we don’t push back now, the next ranch under fire could be yours.
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Here is a list of sources that provide additional context and information related to the King Ranch case in Washington State:
Washington Department of Ecology News Release (February 10, 2023): Details the $267,540 fine levied against the King Ranch for allegedly damaging 23 alkali wetlands in Grant County. CBS News+8Washington State Department of Ecology+8Spokesman-Review+8
Capital Press Article (March 6, 2024): Reports on the King Ranch's lawsuit against the Washington Department of Natural Resources, alleging wrongful cancellation of grazing leases in response to Ecology's allegations. Capital Press+1Washington State Land For Sale+1
UNWON Article (May 21, 2025): Discusses the King family's perspective, claiming the ponds in question are man-made stock watering holes and criticizing the state's reliance on aerial imagery for enforcement actions.americaunwon.com
Columbia Basin Herald Article (November 5, 2024): Explores the complexities of the case, including the state's use of a sealed criminal investigation and the King's assertion that no excavation occurred. Columbia Basin Herald
Capital Press Article (December 28, 2023): Covers the King Ranch's lawsuit against the Department of Ecology, arguing that the agency exceeded its authority and violated the ranchers' stockwater rights. Capital Press+1Washington State Land For Sale+1
Tri-State Livestock News Article: Highlights the King's contention that the ponds are permit-exempt stock watering facilities and the state's assertion that they are protected wetlands requiring permits for modification.TSLN+1americaunwon.com+1
Western Ag Reporter Article: Provides an overview of the fines and criminal charges faced by the King family, emphasizing the alleged damage to alkali wetlands. Western Ag Reporter
Spokesman-Review Article (February 19, 2023): Reports on the Department of Natural Resources revoking the King Ranch's grazing lease following the alleged wetland damage. Spokesman-Review
Save Family Farming Article: Critiques the Department of Ecology's actions, suggesting aggressive tactics and undue influence over other agencies in the enforcement against King Ranch. savefamilyfarming.org
Washington State Land for Sale Blog Post: Discusses the broader implications of the case for ranchers and agricultural practices in Washington State, calling for action to protect farming rights. Washington State Land For Sale
Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced a USDA website where farmers can go if they have been subject to rogue government!! 💥💥💥💥💥