The California Fish and Game Commission’s website states that the public has the right to participate in the regulatory process and petition state agencies for change. That’s exactly what we did when supporters submitted a petition to remove domestic ferrets from California’s restricted species list.

What followed has raised important questions about transparency, accountability, and public participation. Public Records Act requests have revealed internal discussions, agency meetings, litigation-hold notices, and records that were initially denied but later acknowledged to exist. As the record continues to grow, so do the questions about what happened to the petition after it was referred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife—and whether the process is working as the APA promises.