BURNS, Ore.
(AP) -- The remote high desert of eastern Oregon became the latest
flashpoint for anti-government sentiment as armed protesters occupied a
national wildlife refuge to object to a prison sentence for local
ranchers for burning federal land.
Ammon Bundy
- the son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who was involved in a 2014
standoff with the government over grazing rights - is among the people
at the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. It was
unclear exactly how many people were taking part in the protests.
Ammon
Bundy posted a video on his Facebook page asking for militia members to
come help him. He said "this is not a time to stand down. It's a time
to stand up and come to Harney County," where Burns is located.
Bundy
and other militia members came to Burns last month, a small town about
280 miles southeast of Portland, Oregon. They were upset over the
looming prison sentences for local ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond.
They went to the wildlife refuge Saturday evening following a peaceful
rally in Burns to support the ranchers.
Dwight
Hammond, 73, and Steven Hammond, 46, said they lit the fires on federal
land in 2001 and 2006 to reduce the growth of invasive plants and
protect their property from wildfires.
The two
were convicted of the arsons three years ago and served time - the
father three months, the son one year. But a federal judge ruled in
October that their terms were too short under U.S. minimum sentencing
law and ordered them back to prison for about four years each.
The
decision generated controversy and is part of a decades-long dispute
between some Westerners and the federal government over the use of
public lands. The issue traces back to the 1970s and the "Sagebrush
Rebellion," a move by Western states like Nevada to increase local
control over federal land. Critics of the push for more local control
have said the federal government should administer the public lands for
the widest possible uses, including environmental and recreation.
In
an interview with The Associated Press at the wildlife refuge Sunday,
Ryan Bundy, Ammon Bundy's brother, said the protesters' ultimate goal is
to turn the land over to local authorities so people can use it free of
federal oversight.
They want to "restore the rights to people so they can use the land and resources" for ranching, logging, mining and recreation.
Ryan Bundy says the federal government has been "tromping on people's rights and privileges and properties and livelihoods."
"I
understand the land needs to be used wisely, but that's what we as
stewards need to do. A rancher is going to take care of his own ranch,"
Ryan Bundy said.
On Sunday, supplies were seen being delivered to the refuge area, which is remote even by rural Oregon standards.
Dwight Hammond has said he and his son plan to peacefully report to prison Monday as ordered by the judge.
Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward said the group of armed protesters came to town under false pretenses.
"These
men came to Harney County claiming to be part of militia groups
supporting local ranchers, when in reality these men had alternative
motives to attempt to over throw the county and federal government in
hopes to spark a movement across the United States," Ward said in a
statement on Sunday afternoon.
The sheriff
says he is working with local and federal authorities to keep the
citizens in his county safe and to resolve the situation as quickly and
peacefully as possible.
He is asking people to
stay away from the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge for their own
safety. He said he does not think any other parts of the county are in
immediate danger.
Beth Anne Steele, an FBI
spokeswoman in Portland, said Saturday that the agency was aware of the
situation at the national wildlife refuge. She made no further comment.
U.S.
Sen. Ron Wyden, who had been briefed by the FBI agent in charge in
Portland, Oregon, said most local residents do not support the
protesters.
"The overwhelming majority of
people there very much want to get on with their lives without this
disruption and are not in sympathy with a bunch of outsiders," Wyden
told AP.
Local residents have expressed fear
of potential of violence. A peaceful rally Saturday in support of the
Hammonds featured speeches, flags and marching.
As
marchers reached the courthouse, they tossed hundreds of pennies at the
locked door. Their message: Civilians were buying back their
government. After the march passed, two girls swooped in to scavenge the
pennies.
A few blocks away, Hammond and his wife, Susan, greeted marchers, who planted flower bouquets in the snow.
