Ranchers' SCOTUS Stakes

Washington ranchers Wade and Teresa King are challenging a $267,540 state fine issued in 2023 over ponds the Department of Ecology says damaged wetlands in Grant County; the Kings say they are longstanding livestock-water ponds. They argue the case should be heard by a jury rather than the state’s administrative board, and a Washington appeals commissioner has paused the board proceedings while the court considers the issue. The department says it found damage to 6.37 acres of wetlands, while the Kings warn the restoration orders could cost more than $3.7 million and affect other ranchers’ rights.

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