Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Federal Court Rules Against Ranchers

A federal appeals court is siding with the U.S. government in a decades-old legal battle over livestock grazing rights in Nevada.

In addition to overturning an earlier ruling in favor of Nevada ranchers, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals strongly admonished a district judge in Reno for abusing his power and exhibiting personal bias against U.S. land managers.

In a pair of opinions issued Friday, the appellate court in San Francisco ruled the late Wayne Hage and his family were guilty of trespassing cattle on federal land illegally without a grazing permit and should be subject to fines.

  Statesman Journal
In related news...
Ammon Bundy, who has been trying to drum up support for his cause, didn't speak at Tuesday night's meeting in Burns where residents discussed the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge which began earlier this month.

Some of the several hundred community members spoke to Bundy directly. One woman thanked him for raising awareness around issues of public lands, but told him it's time to go home to his family.

[...]

Other speakers were less congenial and at times angry and emotional in comments directed at the armed group as well as at local government officials and federal government, in part for not doing more to end the occupation.

Harney County Judge Steve Grasty took the microphone over to where Bundy sat in the bleachers and told Bundy he'd drive him wherever he wanted to go, as far as Utah. He also offered to meet with him anytime.

Bundy and his small posse left after the meeting without incident.

[...]

Rallies also were held in Portland and Eugene, Oregon and in Boise, Idaho, Tuesday, with hundreds of people calling for Bundy to end the occupation and pointing out that federal management allows all kinds of people to enjoy public lands.

  Statesman Journal
Yeah, I don't think that helps - Bundy and the others are really only concerned with having free range for cattlemen.
At a Tuesday news conference, Bundy said "we're not going anywhere" until his group gets its goals accomplished.
Also, the sheriff has arrested a second militia participant: Duane Kirkland of Montana, a felon in possession of a firearm.

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