Washington couple contests $267,540 wetlands penalty and possible $3.7 million restoration bill

Wade and Teresa King are fighting a $267,540 penalty over alleged damage to wetlands on their property. The couple maintains that the sites are traditional stockwater ponds used for their livestock. The Washington State Department of Ecology contends that excavation work by the Kings harmed rare alkali wetlands. The Kings worry that required restoration could cost more than $3.7 million, putting their family ranch at risk.