Wildlife Refuge Held Hostage by Armed Criminals

Armed militants have taken hostage public property belonging to the American people. And for some reason, after three weeks of armed occupation, these anti-government protesters who have illegally broken into and refused to leave federally owned property at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon have yet to be held accountable for their actions. It’s time for this charade to end, and for these criminals to be arrested and prosecuted.

Public land, especially in western states, is at the core of outdoor recreation. Hunters, fishermen, hikers, campers, trail riders, snowmobilers and so many more user groups are afforded the opportunity to participate in their preferred pastimes because our government holds in trust lands for public use. Even though the land is public, many users still happily pay for permits to use the land for certain activities like hunting, riding and camping. But the members of this small occupation think ranchers shouldn’t have to pay to graze livestock on the same lands. Actually, they don’t think the land should even be public. They think it should be privatized and closed off from use by folks like you and me.

Sadly, there has always been a small but vocal contingent of society who opposes public property. They see no value in lands set aside to benefit all people in perpetuity. They see public ownership as an obstacle to furthering commerce, instead of what it really is, which is the conservation of open space and natural resources for enjoyment by current and future generations. The worst among the anti-public lands people simply refuse to follow the law and refuse to pay for using land that belongs to all of us.

The armed occupiers of Malheur claim to be rallying around local ranchers, Dwight and Steven Hammond, who are serving jail time for arson on lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The father and son committed a crime and a jury of their peers convicted them. During their trial, numerous witnesses, including a relative, testified the Hammonds set the fire to cover up poaching activities. But they respectfully own their actions. The Hammonds peacefully and responsibly reported to jail, and have since publically stated they do not welcome the occupiers and do not want them there. Very few of the locals do either.

The occupiers are led by Ammon Bundy, whose family was involved in a 2014 armed standoff with the government over BLM grazing rights. The Bundy family reportedly owes more than a million dollars in unpaid grazing fees to the federal government, and they don’t want to pay their bill. Bundy has stated that the occupiers plan to stay at the refuge indefinitely, or until the land is turned over to local authorities.

On January 4^th, the FBI released a written statement that said it “is working with the Harney County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police and other local and state law enforcement agencies to bring a peaceful resolution to the situation at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.”

Now, over two weeks later, it appears little to no progress has been made in removing the armed occupiers. With each passing day the wrong message continues to be sent. A hostile takeover of public property is not acceptable. And allowing it to continue this long is shameful. While everyone hopes a peaceful resolution is reached, these occupiers cannot be allowed to continue holding hostage what rightfully belongs to all Americans. What if this was Yellowstone, Yosemite, Mount Rushmore or another more well known piece of public land?

Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, an Arizona rancher who is recognized as one of the leaders of the occupation, has stopped paying federal grazing fees and is working to convince others to follow suit. What would happen to you or I if we decided to takeover and hold hostage federally owned property to protest our disdain for paying what we owe to our government? No one likes paying taxes or permit fees, but we do so, with representation, because it is our duty as a citizen. Why are these occupiers being allowed to continue this illegal activity? This occupation is costing taxpayers an estimated $100,000 per day.

One of the responsibilities of our government is to protect federal lands from people like Bundy, Finicum and their followers who selfishly take for themselves what belongs to all of us. No one is taking money out of their pockets. But by refusing to pay permit fees to graze cattle on public lands, they are taking money out of all of ours.

“The individuals responsible for the Malheur Refuge occupation need to be held legally responsible for their actions. And the radical politicians calling for the wholesale transfer of public land need to recognize their own responsibility for fueling this undemocratic, criminal behavior. The anti-public land and anti-government rhetoric has to stop,” said Dave Chadwick, executive director of the Montana Wildlife Federation.

Hopefully some good will come of all of this, when the occupation backfires by raising awareness of the rogue behavior of a small set of anti-government radicals who feel it is right to steal from the rest of us. Maybe it will wake people up to the fact that our public lands are under attack. These occupiers need to be removed immediately. And all of us who love and appreciate having open space on which to enjoy the natural resources of America need to come together in much stronger support of our public lands.

See you down the trail…

Brandon Butler

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Conservation truly is in the citizen’s hands. Read why here.