When the Law Doesn't Apply

After reviewing the DNR police report on the “Troublemakers,” the public is left wondering whether accountability will follow

Imagine five people walking onto your property, tearing down survey markers, knowingly causing nearly $10,000 in damage — and filming themselves while they do it. Regional media then celebrate their actions. You have their full names, addresses, ages, and even video of them committing the crime. You provide physical descriptions. And still… nothing happens.

That is exactly what occurred on the Doc Holliday timber parcel — land owned not by a private corporation, but by you: the Washington State Taxpayer. Managed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), this trust land exists for a very specific purpose: to fund public schools and critical county services like roads, fire districts, libraries, hospitals, ports, and emergency management.

Yet when five self-described activists — the “Troublemakers” — hiked into the Doc Holliday sale area, removed survey and boundary markers, and hand-delivered them to DNR headquarters in Olympia, the accountability that ordinary citizens would face simply never materialized.

A Crime Against Public Services

According to the DNR police report, the initial cost to remark the timber-sale boundaries was estimated at $9,536, not including delays or staff time. That damage wasn’t symbolic — it directly interrupts the flow of revenue to the Washington State Common School Trust and State Land Transfer Fund, two major funding streams for school construction and county services.

A DNR Police Officer — and former Washington State Patrol Sergeant — filed a detailed investigation after Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz vested him with police powers in March 2024. His findings paint a clear, indisputable picture.

The Crime Was Filmed, Publicly Posted, and Self-Identified

A YouTube video of the event — posted by the activists themselves — shows the “Troublemakers” removing boundary markers in Unit 5 of the Doc Holliday timber sale. The officer preserved the video, obtained a search warrant, and downloaded it as evidence. DNR staff verified that the markers shown in the video matched those missing from the sale area.

The video identifies all five participants:

• Tim Wheeler, 84, Sequim

• Peter Stedman, 68, Port Angeles

• Emily Johnston, 58, Seattle

• Lisa Dekker, 72, Port Angeles

• Keith Dekker, 70, Port Angeles

Their intent was not subtle — or deniable. It was spoken directly into the camera.

Their Own Words, on Camera

The Troublemakers repeatedly admit their plan to interfere with state operations:

• “There are some things more important than just obeying a law.” — Wheeler

• “When you see pink, just pull it off.” — Stedman

• “We are here to remove the survey flagging so DNR can’t sell it.” — Johnston

• “It’s going to slow them down…” — K. Dekker

• “Sorry DNR, not sorry.” — L. Dekker

They removed flags, stakes, signs, and boundary markers throughout the parcel — laughing, encouraging one another, and documenting the entire process.

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Clear Evidence, Clear Intent — and No Action

Washington law is straightforward. Under RCW 9A.48.070, Malicious Mischief in the First Degree, it is a felony to knowingly cause:

• More than $5,000 in damage to property

• Interruption or impairment of a public service

The officer recommended charges accordingly. The evidence meets both criteria:

• Physical damage exceeding $9,500

• Delayed timber revenue needed for schools and county services

• Recorded admissions of intent

Yet despite the report, despite the video, despite the statements from the suspects themselves, and despite the financial impact on public services… no charges were filed.

Why Not?

That’s the unanswered question.

Why, in Clallam County, do some people face aggressive enforcement for far less — while others openly break the law on state land, brag about it, and are treated like folk heroes?

Why are crimes against public property and schools treated differently when those committing them belong to certain activist groups?

And what message does it send when state officials allow this kind of destruction to go unaddressed on video?

A Two-Tiered Standard of Accountability

Washington’s 3 million acres of trust lands are supposed to be managed efficiently to support schools and local government. When those lands are vandalized, the victims aren’t corporations — they’re public institutions and taxpayers.

If a logger removed these markers, they’d be arrested.
If a homeowner did this, they’d be charged.
But when activists do it with a camera crew… nothing happens.

The public deserves to know why.

DNR Police completed the report in August of this year and forwarded it to the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney, who can be reached at mark.nichols@clallamcountywa.gov.

DNR Public Records Request

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