Brian’s Column: Resolving Oregon Confrontation Peacefully

Proposed jury solution to occupation of Malheur facility works for all disputes

HammondWhat happened, based on intersection of mainstream and alternative sources:

On Saturday, January 2, 2016, a ‘militia’ of several dozen men, some from outside the area, took control of the facilities of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (run by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) of the Department of the Interior)—in large (10,000+ sq. miles), sparsely populated (7,422) Harney County, 30 miles SE of Burns, Oregon. The federal property was closed and unstaffed for the holiday weekend.

The occupation came shortly after an estimated 300 marchers—militia and local citizens both—paraded through Burns to protest the prosecution of two Harney County ranchers, Dwight Hammond, Jr. and Steven Hammond, who are to report to prison on Monday. Among the occupiers is Ammon Bundy, son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, and two of his brothers. The group demands that the Hammonds be released and the federal government relinquish control of the Malheur National Forest and observe Constitutionally protected rights for states, counties and individuals to manage local lands. Continue reading