LAS VEGAS — When Cliven Bundy refused to hand over his trespassing cattle to officials in 2014, he inspired an armed standoff that highlighted sharp divisions over the power of the federal government and the ways Americans use public lands.

Mr. Bundy is finally getting his day in court.



His federal trial in Las Vegas begins on Tuesday. And it is being watched closely because it could set the tone for how 640 million acres of public land owned by the federal government, including America’s national parks, wildlife refuges and conservation areas, are managed.

A guilty verdict for Mr. Bundy could reinforce Washington’s control of these acres, while an acquittal could embolden those who ignore federal rules.

Ian Bartrum, a law professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said the case raised questions about whether land protection was “something the federal government can even do.”