韦德·金与特丽萨·金称，遵守相关部门指令的成本可能超过370万美元
https://news-multimedia-1393112320.cos.ap-guangzhou.myqcloud.com/kiera-headshot.jpg 作者：基拉·麦克唐纳、安德鲁·马克·米勒，福克斯新闻
发布时间：2026年11月8日 美国东部时间凌晨5:00
华盛顿州牧场主警告，若官司败诉，将对家族世代传承的产业构成“生存威胁”
金牧场的所有者韦德·金与特丽萨·金，以及太平洋法律基金会的资深律师奥利弗·邓福德，就华盛顿州生态部的267540美元罚款展开抗争，并要求由陪审团审理案件。
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拥有多代传承的养牛牧场的所有者表示，华盛顿州生态部因他们的牲畜饮水池对其处以数十万美元罚款后，他们正面临一场“生存威胁”，并警告这一案件可能在全国范围内产生重大影响。
2023年，华盛顿州生态部向位于格兰特县和道格拉斯县的金牧场所有者韦德·金与特丽萨·金开出267540美元的罚单，理由是他们挖掘池塘为牧场运营供水，破坏了受监管的湿地。金氏夫妇辩称，这些被要求恢复原状的区域，是他们长期以来用于牲畜饮水的池塘，而非受监管的湿地。
金氏夫妇一直试图将案件提交陪审团审理，他们对福克斯新闻数字频道表示，这不仅关乎自身的财务稳定性，还涉及其他牧场主的权利。
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“输掉这场抗争将是一场生存威胁，”韦德说，“说实话，我不知道我们要如何从中恢复。”
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金牧场所有者韦德与特丽萨·正因该州认定为受监管湿地的区域与华盛顿州生态部展开抗争。（韦德·金、特丽萨·金/太平洋法律基金会）
金氏夫妇首次收到罚款及恢复原状的指令时，便立刻着手提出异议。但该部门要求他们向污染控制听证委员会（PCHB）提起诉讼，这是一个不提供陪审团审理的行政机构。
3月，金氏夫妇在格兰特县高等法院提起另一项诉讼，主张此案不应由污染控制听证委员会审理，否则将侵犯他们的陪审团审判权。数月后，一名法官驳回了诉讼，裁定金氏夫妇必须先完成行政程序。
金氏夫妇对该裁决提出上诉，华盛顿州上诉委员会专员于9月暂停了污染控制听证委员会的程序，等待法院审理他们是否有权获得陪审团审判。
“整个过程都在行政部门掌控之下，他们很少会站在土地所有者这边，”韦德说，并补充道，这场抗争开始时曾担任总检察长的华盛顿州州长鲍勃·弗格森，现在与州参议院一同拥有该委员会的任命权。
“他们几乎总是站在相关机构那边，对像我们这样的上诉人而言，根本算不上公平审判。”
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因案件仍在审理中，污染控制听证委员会不予置评。
代表金氏夫妇的太平洋法律基金会资深律师奥利弗·邓福德告诉福克斯新闻数字频道，若他们在华盛顿州败诉，已准备向美国最高法院提交申诉。
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金氏夫妇因涉嫌挖掘牲畜池塘破坏受监管湿地，于2023年被处以267540美元罚款。（韦德·金、特丽萨·金/太平洋法律基金会）
“我们有两个问题需要提交最高法院：一是裁定第七修正案适用于各州，二是主张金氏夫妇应依据第七修正案获得陪审团审判，”邓福德说。
他表示，如果案件进入最高法院，判决结果将对其他各州产生连锁效应。
“如果我们胜诉，将产生巨大影响，不仅在华盛顿州，也有望在全国范围内，阻止相关机构随意开出罚单，然后将举证责任抛给你——你不得不将案件一路打到最高法院，只为获得陪审团审判的机会，”他说。
金氏夫妇的律师估算，遵守该部门指令的成本可能超过370万美元。但除了经济代价外，特丽萨表示这些指令“无法实现”，因为那些区域根本就不是湿地。
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金氏夫妇称这些区域是牲畜饮水池，正争取让案件由陪审团审理。（韦德·金、特丽萨·金/太平洋法律基金会）
“作为牧场主，我们要如何把这些区域变成湿地，同时遵守生态部的所有要求？”她说，“这根本无法实现，只会让我们的财务状况彻底崩溃。”
“我们又该如何把非湿地变成湿地？”韦德补充道。
韦德表示，该部门从未向他们提供任何修复所谓破坏的具体方案。他说，湿地的划定赋予了该部门对这些区域的极大权限，若被认定为牲畜饮水池则不会有此权限。
“这就是他们试图把那些非湿地区域称作湿地的主要原因，”韦德说。
韦德与特丽萨讲述了这场抗争可能对他们的子女及后代造成的影响。金氏家族自20世纪50年代起就在格兰特县和道格拉斯县经营牧场，特丽萨称如今已有多代人在当地生活和工作。
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金氏夫妇表示，这场法律抗争可能会影响其他牧场主及其宪法权利。（韦德·金、特丽萨·金/太平洋法律基金会）
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“这是第四代人，第五代和第六代也在这个牧场生活和工作，我们希望能继续下去，”她说，“我们只是想安安静静地生活。”
该部门表示，调查未发现这些区域此前为牲畜饮水池的证据，并指控金氏夫妇“破坏了格兰特县的23处自然湿地”。
该部门称：“生态部检查人员尽可能对受损区域进行了实地勘查，还利用了卫星影像、可追溯至1949年的航空照片及其他记录，确定金氏夫妇通过挖掘、重塑地形和填土，破坏了6.37英亩的自然湿地。”
该部门还称，他们“曾多次试图解决有关破坏的相关问题”，但金氏夫妇“拒绝配合这些努力”。他们表示，去年已下令金氏夫妇修复道格拉斯县的11处额外区域，使总数达到34处，且大部分区域位于国有土地上。
韦德表示，他们一向保护和珍视如今被该部门指控破坏的这片土地。
“我们需要清洁的水源，”韦德说，“作为依靠土地为生的世代家族，我们怎么会污染或破坏赖以生存的土地和水源？我们是传承数代的家族，又怎么会做出自我伤害、损害环境的事情？”
金氏夫妇表示，这场抗争远未结束，特丽萨称此案可能危及其他牧场主赖以获取牲畜用水的豁免政策。
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“这不仅仅是我们的事，”特丽萨说，“我们是在为华盛顿州所有牧场主的牲畜用水豁免权而抗争。”
基拉·麦克唐纳是福克斯新闻数字频道的制作助理。
Wade and Teresa King say the Department of Ecology’s orders could cost more than $3.7M to comply with
https://news-multimedia-1393112320.cos.ap-guangzhou.myqcloud.com/kiera-headshot.jpg By Kiera McDonald , Andrew Mark MillerFox News
Published November 8, 2026 5:00am EST
Washington ranchers warn losing legal battle would be an ‘existential threat’ to generations-old family legacy
King Ranch owners Wade and Teresa King and Pacific Legal Foundation senior attorney Oliver Dunford discuss their fight with the Washington State Department of Ecology over a $267,540 fine and their push for a jury trial.
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The owners of a multigenerational cattle ranch say they are facing an “existential threat” after the Washington State Department of Ecology fined them hundreds of thousands of dollars over their stockwater ponds, and they are warning the case could have substantial implications nationwide.
The department fined Wade and Teresa King, owners of King Ranch in Grant and Douglas counties, $267,540 in 2023 for allegedly damaging regulated wetlands by digging ponds to provide water for their ranching operations. The Kings argue the areas, which they were ordered to restore, are longstanding stockwater ponds for their livestock, not regulated wetlands.
The Kings, who have been trying to get their case in front of a jury, told Fox News Digital that, not only is their financial stability at stake, so are the rights of other ranchers.
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“Losing this fight would be an existential threat,” Wade said. “I don’t know how we would recover from that, to be honest with you.”
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King Ranch owners Wade and Teresa King are fighting the Washington State Department of Ecology over areas the state says are regulated wetlands.(Wade and Teresa King/Pacific Legal Foundation)
When the Kings were first hit with the fines and restoration orders, they immediately set out to challenge them. However, the department’s required process directed them to bring their case before the Pollution Control Hearings Board (PCHB), an administrative panel that does not provide jury trials.
In March, the Kings filed a separate lawsuit in Grant County Superior Court, arguing the case should not be decided by the PCHB and that doing so would violate their right to a jury trial. Months later, a judge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling the Kings first had to complete the administrative process.
The Kings appealed the decision, and a Washington Court of Appeals commissioner paused the PCHB proceedings in September while the court considers whether they are entitled to a jury trial.
“It’s all under the executive branch, and they very rarely go with the property owner,” Wade said, adding that Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, who was attorney general when the fight began, now has appointment authority over the board alongside the state Senate.
“They almost always side with the agencies and it’s just not a fair trial for appellants like us.”
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The PCHB declined to comment due to the pending case.
Oliver Dunford, a senior attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation representing the Kings, told Fox News Digital they are prepared to petition the U.S. Supreme Court if they are unsuccessful in Washington.
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The Kings were fined $267,540 in 2023 for allegedly damaging regulated wetlands by digging cattle ponds.(Wade and Teresa King/Pacific Legal Foundation)
“We have to ask them one question: to rule that the Seventh Amendment does apply against the states, and then to argue that the Kings should have had a jury trial under the Seventh Amendment,” Dunford said.
He said if the case reaches the Supreme Court, a ruling could have ripple effects across other states.
“If we prevail, it would have an enormous effect, certainly across the state of Washington, but hopefully across the country, and prevent these agencies from just issuing these fines and then essentially putting the burden on you to prove your innocence and take the case all the way to the Supreme Court just to get a chance at a jury trial,” he said.
The Kings’ attorneys estimate the cost of complying with the department’s orders could exceed $3.7 million. But beyond the financial toll, Teresa said the orders would be “unachievable” because the areas were never wetlands in the first place.
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BLUE STATE’S WATER FAILURES COULD THREATEN FOOD SUPPLIES ACROSS US, LAWMAKER WARNS
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The Kings argue the areas are stockwater ponds and are fighting to have their case heard by a jury.(Wade and Teresa King/Pacific Legal Foundation)
“How do we as ranchers turn these into wetlands and comply with everything that Ecology wants us to?” she said. “It’ll be unachievable and it would just spin us in the ground financially.”
“How are we supposed to make wetlands from non-wetlands?” Wade added.
Wade said the department has failed to give them any details on how to fix the alleged damage. He said the wetlands designation gives the department greater authority over the areas than it would if they were considered stockwater ponds.
“That’s the big reason why they want to call them wetlands when they’re not wetlands,” Wade said.
Wade and Teresa described how the fight could also hurt their children and their children’s children. The Kings have ranched in Grant and Douglas counties since the 1950s, where Teresa said multiple generations now live and work.
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The Kings say the legal battle could affect other ranchers and their constitutional rights.(Wade and Teresa King/Pacific Legal Foundation)
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“It’s fourth generation, then we have fifth and sixth living and working on this ranch and we want to continue with this,” she said. “We just want to be left alone.”
The department said its investigation found no evidence the areas were previously stockwater ponds and accused the Kings of “damaging 23 naturally occurring wetlands” in Grant County.
“Ecology inspectors made site visits to these damaged areas where possible, but also used satellite imagery, aerial images dating from as far back as 1949, and other records to determine that the Kings had damaged 6.37 acres of naturally occurring wetlands by excavating, recontouring, and putting fill in them,” the department said.
The department added it “repeatedly sought to resolve concerns about the damage” but the Kings “refused to cooperate with these efforts.” They said they ordered the Kings to restore 11 more areas in Douglas County last year, bringing the total to 34, and most were on state land.
Wade said they have always protected and cared for the land that the department is now accusing them of damaging.
“We want clean water,” Wade said. “Why would we pollute or cause damage to the land or the water that we rely on in our livelihood? We’re generational. Why would we do something to harm ourselves that way and harm the environment?”
The Kings said the fight is far from over, with Teresa arguing the case could jeopardize exemptions other ranchers rely on to provide water for livestock.
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“It’s not just us,” Teresa said. “We are defending every rancher in the state of Washington’s exempt livestock water rights.”
Kiera McDonald is a Production Assistant for Fox News Digital.
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