Record Searchlight – by Damon Arthur
As a standoff between armed activists and law enforcement continues at a wildlife refuge in eastern Oregon, one federal agency in the North State is not letting employees work in the field and others remain on heightened alert.
Employees in the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Redding Field Office have been told to suspend all field work this week because of concerns over employee safety.
“It’s true. It’s just out of an abundance of caution this week,” said Charlie Wright, a supervising realty specialist for the BLM’s Redding office.
“A lot of management is out at meetings, so we wanted to be careful,” Wright said.
Jeff Fontana, a BLM spokesman, said there have been no threats made against any employees, but the agency wanted to be careful considering the issues fueling the standoff in Oregon.
Armed ranchers and activists took over and occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in protest of federal land management practices in the West. While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service operates the refuge, the BLM also manages millions of acres of rangeland throughout the West, including thousands of acres around Redding.
After occupying the refuge for weeks, federal officials arrested about 11 people last week and one man was killed during a confrontation with federal and local law enforcement.
Fontana said the alert affects employees working at all of the agency’s offices in Redding, Arcata, Alturas, Cedarville and Susanville. The alert and suspension of work will last the rest of this week.
Wright said he didn’t think the work suspension would cause any serious setbacks in projects in the North State.
Employees with the U.S. Forest Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service have also been told to take extra precautions this week.
Fish and Wildlife Service Director Daniel Ashe sent an email Friday urging employees to be cautious.
“As always, employee safety is our paramount concern. Out of an abundance of caution only — and not based on any credible threats — earlier this week, western regional directors made decisions to curtail staffing at some facilities,” Ashe said in his email.
It wasn’t clear at which facilities staffing was reduced.
“Similarly, short-term deployment of additional law enforcement capacity is being implemented to ensure the safety and security of our employees and facilities,” Ashe said.
“Please continue to look out for one another as you perform the important work you do on behalf of the American people. Don’t be afraid, but do be vigilant and as we are often reminded, if you see something, say something,” Ashe said.
Employees with the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, which covers millions of acres in the North State, were also told by law enforcement officials to be cautious and report suspicious activity or odd encounters, said Andrea Crain, a Forest Service spokeswoman. Employees working in the field also are encouraged to work in pairs, Crain said.
“We’re definitely paying a lot of attention to it,” Crain said of the events unfolding in eastern Oregon.
BLM drama queening!
Awww. Feds are scared? Good.