Statement of Sean Stevens, Executive Director of Oregon Wild, on the armed occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge:

“America’s public lands -- our National Parks, National Forests, Wildlife Refuges and other special places -- are among our most prized national treasures. Yet today, our public lands are under attack by insurrectionists in Harney County, Oregon. An armed militia group led by out-of-state ringleaders has seized the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, and is using threats of violence and intimidation to try and achieve their political ends.

“We are disgusted that this group is hijacking the word “patriotism” to justify its actions, while rejecting the basic tenets of American society--democracy and the rule of law. They claim their seizure of Malheur refuge is in support of two local ranchers. However, those ranchers were convicted in a court of law of arson in a case involving poaching deer on public lands and intentionally setting fires that damaged public land to hide the evidence, endangering firefighters in the area. The two ranchers in question failed to serve the mandatory minimum sentence required for their crimes, and are now being required to serve their full terms.

“The details of the Hammond case are disturbing, but they are a distraction to what is truly happening here. These armed occupiers are using intimidation and threats of violence to make a political point. They do not believe the American government should own any land, and that our National Parks, Forests, Refuges, or other lands should be privatized. They base their views on a perverted definition of the U.S. Constitution - one that has been thoroughly discredited by lawmakers, legal scholars, and the courts. Numerous opinion polls show that the American public across the political spectrum supports our public lands--places that belong to all Americans, and that all Americans have a right to responsibly use and enjoy.

“The dictionary definition of the word terrorism is “the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims.” This word should not be used lightly, but it is exactly what the extremist group currently occupying Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is attempting to do. The people of Oregon are scared and angry, and politicians and members of the news media should not create a double standard by labeling this group something else.

“Oregon Wild calls upon local, state and federal authorities in Oregon to work to resolve this conflict without the violence and bloodshed that the insurrectionists seek, so that Malheur National Wildlife Refuge can once again be a protected haven for wildlife. Elected officials, in no uncertain terms, must denounce this terrorism. We also urge federal and state law enforcement to ensure that the perpetrators of this crime are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Background:

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was set aside 100 years ago to protect wetlands for migratory and breeding waterfowl, waterbirds, shorebirds, songbirds, and raptors. As the Portland Audubon Society has noted:

In 2013, the Refuge adopted a long-term management plan developed through an inclusive collaborative process that brought together the local community, tribes, conservation groups, state and federal agencies, and other stakeholders. These stakeholders have continued to work together to implement this strategy which includes one of the biggest wetland restoration efforts ever undertaken.

The group occupying these public lands is led by members of the Cliven Bundy family, who previously staged an armed stand-off with federal law enforcement after they refused to pay the American public grazing fees, despite running their cattle on public lands for more than two decades. Individuals at that stand-off, including some now at Malheur, bragged about pointing sniper scopes at law enforcement officers. The individuals involved in this insurrection have yet to be held accountable to the law.

In recent months we have witnessed increasingly divisive rhetoric in our national political dialogue pertaining to America’s public lands. Comments spanning from local politicians to candidates for president have emboldened this kind of behavior. Oregon state legislators, county commissioners, and sheriffs have become increasingly outspoken in their desire to seize public lands away from the American public and turn it over to extractive interests. Indeed, in the 2015 session of the Oregon Legislature there were several bills introduced with the intent to seize national public lands.