The Bureau of Land Management announced Saturday that it has ended its mission to remove illegal cattle from a rural Nevada range after a tense week-long standoff with a rancher and militia supporters, citing a “serious concern” for the safety of employees and the public.
“Based on information about conditions on the ground, and in consultation with law enforcement, we have made a decision to conclude the cattle gather because of our serious concern about the safety of employees and members of the public,” the statement read.
Bureau officials had dismantled designated protest areas supporting rancher Cliven Bundy, who they say refuses to comply with the “same laws that 16,000 public land ranchers do every year.”
“After 20 years and multiple court orders to remove the trespass cattle, Mr. Bundy owes the American taxpayers in excess of $1 million. The BLM will continue to work to resolve the matter administratively and judicially,” the statement said. “We ask that all parties in the area remain peaceful and law-abiding as the Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service work to end the operation in an orderly manner.”
A group of about 1,000 supporting Bundy cheered and sang “The Star Spangled Banner” when BLM made its announcement.
The standoff at the ranch, some 80 miles north of Las Vegas, became an increasingly tense issue the longer it lasted, prompting elected officials in several states to weigh in, militia members to mobilize and federal land managers to reshape elements of the operation.
The roundup started last Saturday after the BLM and National Park Service shut down an area half the size of Delaware to let cowhands using helicopters and vehicles gather about 900 cattle that officials say are trespassing.
Bundy, 67, and his large family cast their resistance to the roundup as a constitutional stand. He says he doesn’t recognize federal authority over state land.
The dispute that triggered the roundup dates to 1993, when the BLM cited concern for the federally protected tortoise. The agency later revoked Bundy’s grazing rights.
Bundy claimed ancestral rights to graze his cattle on lands his Mormon family settled in the 19th century. He stopped paying grazing fees and disregarded several court orders to remove his animals.
BLM officials, however, say Bundy owes more than $1.1 million in unpaid grazing fees.
BLM faced criticism when police used stun guns on one of Bundy’s adult sons during a Wednesday confrontation on a state highway near the Bundy melon farm in the Gold Butte area.
Video of that confrontation spread on the Internet, along with blog commentary claiming excessive government force and calls to arms from self-described militia leaders. Some have invoked references to deadly confrontations with federal authorities, including a siege of a ranch home in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in 1992 and the fiery destruction of a religious compound near Waco, Texas, that killed 76 people in 1993.
“Our mission here is to protect the protestors and the American citizens from the violence that the federal government is dishing out,” Jim Landy, a member of the West Mountain Rangers, who made the journey from Montana to Nevada, told Fox News Channel. “People here are scared.”
Arizona state Rep. Bob Thorpe of Flagstaff said he and state legislators weren’t arguing whether Bundy broke laws or violated grazing agreements. Thorpe said the Arizona lawmakers were upset the BLM initially restricted protesters to so-called free speech zones.
Sen. Dean Heller and Gov. Brian Sandoval, both Republicans, have also said they were upset with the way the BLM was conducting the roundup. After the areas were removed Thursday, Sandoval issued a new statement.
“Although tensions remain high, escalation of current events could have negative, long lasting consequences that can be avoided,” it said.
Amy Lueders, BLM state director in Nevada, said Friday that two protesters were detained, cited for failure to comply with officers at a barricade on Thursday and released.
That brought the number of arrests to three. Bundy’s son, Dave Bundy, was arrested Sunday on State Route 170 and released Monday with citations accusing him of refusing to disperse and resisting arrest.
Lueders said 380 cows were collected by Thursday. She declined to provide a cost estimate for the herding operation.
Fox News’ Edmund DeMarche, Matt Finn and The Associated Press contributed to this report
On my end, the stream has been blocked (“Error encountered: Stream not found”). I can only view the first 5 seconds. 🙁
Maybe it is due to my location. Last night, Hubby was talking to his Mother (TX) about the situation. She said that Fox News was doing a report as they spoke. I switched channels to Fox News but, it was an entirely different story (on every other channel, we viewed the same movies/programs).
I saw it Angel. It was a major spin as you can imagine.
. . .
I can imagine. Hubby’s Mom and family are hard-core Conservative Republicans, yet she was calling the supporters “radicals” and “extremists”. 🙁 His family LOVES the oil industry and fracking, vaccines, GMOs, think that chemtrails are “only harmless vapor”, and never miss “Dancing With The Stars.” GRRR Needless to say, Hubby and his Mom were in a very “heated” discussion last night. I really wanted to see the Fox News report that she was talking about. Oh well. I prefer the Trenches. They can be sheeple if they want to be.
Yes Angel Yes. And I am gonna not say anything on that one
You said it for me Angel so therefore I just better shut up 😆 A big Thank You To you Angel for sayin` it for me 🙂
Now that the feds have assessed the militia response, taken down names and license plate numbers, they have had their “dry run” and will adjust their tactics according to the responses observed in the operation.
I concur Millard.
Agreed.
Yes Millard, I think us old boys know exactly what the feds areup to. 🙁 🙁 . Yea I see it too and it ain`t funny this game the feds are playin` !!!
People better be more on time than what I have seen them being:( . Yea this is only the start pf things if even that.
It is time to buck up people
What side are ya`ll on beceause this isn`t nothing !!
Yes sir Dan your right. This has just begun.
Yes Paul. I can taste it and I can even feel/smell it that there is gonna be some real devious stuff gonna happen to the like of what most people now days haven`t even begone to imagine.
Yea Paul and some of us others know it too – I think that I see it too and it isn`t nice 🙁 🙁
es sir. I agree. Aint gonna be pretty.
Like I said to Cathleen, in an earlier post today,
I feel it in my gut…
me 2 Angel.
Exactly what I am sayin too Angel @ 6:19
Yeah, we better “wake the f#*k up” and not be led like a bunch of lemmings right off the edge of the cliff.
That is right too Millard!!.
These jew banking mofos would like nothing better than us remaining woefully ignorant of that red, white, and blue dildo getting rammed up our @$$ every day by the flag waving morons. God and country, they’ll use it against you at every opportunity. (Kudos to Mr. Carlin)
Thanks Han solo, that’s the bit I was referring to.
‘Safety concerns prompt feds to end Nevada cattle roundup’
Bullshit, this is a huddle after the initial kick-off.
That game hasn’t even really started.
I was hoping they had backed off and whatnot, but that’s not the case.
-flek
Agreed flek.
Yep Millard and Flek, we only seen the start of something a lot bigger I think too.
The start of a 1984 type of thing perhaps ya think ?