Walden, GOP candidates, others weigh in on takeover

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., offered his reaction Monday to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge takeover, while the state’s cattle and farm associations also weighed in on the dispute – as did the more sharply critical, Bend-based Oregon Natural Desert Association, calling the occupiers “militant extremists.”

“What’s happening in Harney County is very troubling, and, if history is any gauge, no one comes out of situations like this a winner,” Walden said.

“Law enforcement at all levels are working hard to keep everyone safe and resolve this peacefully,” the congressman said. “I’ll continue to be in close touch with community leaders and law enforcement as we monitor this situation.”

The takeover also inevitably became a topic of discussion in the race for the White House.

During his first campaign stop in Iowa on Monday, Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz said he hopes protesters “stand down peaceably.”

“Every one of us has a constitutional right to protest to speak our minds. But we don’t have a constitutional right to use force and violence and to threatened force and violence on others,” Cruz said.

The father and son in the heart of the controversy, Dwight and Steve Hammond are asking the president for pardon, but there has not been an official response.

“I’m not sure the president has spent a lot of time considering the case of the individuals who are carrying out this action. This ultimately is a local law enforcement matter,” said White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest.

The Oregon Farm Bureau issued this statement:

“The federal government has done a gross injustice to the Hammonds, which has severely damaged the long-term trust and cooperation that ranchers and foresters and recreationists have had with BLM.

“However, the illegal activity of so-called militia groups only harms the Hammonds and the rest of the community because it diverts public attention and scrutiny away from the injustice that the federal government perpetrated on this Oregon family.”

And the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association issued this statement:

Today, January 4, 2016 Oregon ranchers Dwight and Steve Hammond have left their homes to report to a federal prison. Both ranchers are faithful, long term Oregon Cattlemen’s Association members. Many have asked where the association stands on the Hammond’s predicament.

The Oregon Cattlemen’s Association has declared that they do not support illegal activity taken against the government but has, and will continue, to support the Hammonds via avenues that are in accordance with the law.

John O’Keeffe, current president of the OCA, said the ranchers in Burns strive to work together with surrounding agencies.

“The community of Burns and the ranchers there have been very resourceful in working together with agencies on many wildlife issues,'” he said. ‘Furthermore, OCA does not support illegal activity taken against the government. This includes militia takeover of government property, such as the Malheur Wildlife Refuge.”

OCA’s Executive Director, Jerome Rosa, pointed out that the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association has supported the Hammonds for some time and does not agree with their current re-sentencing.

“OCA feels the Hammond’s situation is a classic case of double jeopardy. The Hammonds were tried and convicted by a jury of their peers and have already served their sentence,” Rosa said.

Although the Hammonds have already been sentenced to additional prison time, OCA is continuing to work to find ways to support them.

O’Keeffe mentioned several legal ways the organization is working to provide assistance.

“We are circulating an online petition asking the White House to review the Hammonds case.” A link to the petition can be found the OCA website or on their social media channels. “In addition to clemency efforts, we are working through legal avenues to help the Hammonds get their BLM grazing permits restored,” said O’Keeffe.

While the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association does not agree with the current legal action being taken against the Hammonds, OCA will continue to assist and represent the Hammonds solely through avenues that are in accordance with the law.

The Oregon Natural Desert Association issued this statement:

The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, an 188,000-acre expanse of wetlands and high desert at the base of Steens Mountain in southeastern Oregon, is a state and national treasure. Protected in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt, these public lands are home to over 320 bird species and 58 mammals. The refuge provides critical habitat for migrating birds in what’s known as the Pacific Flyway, at times sheltering as much as 66 percent of all birds using the flyway. Today the refuge is renowned for its amazing bird watching and is cherished by thousands of Oregonians and other Americans.

The armed takeover Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016 of the Malheur Refuge Headquarters south of Burns by militant extremists is an affront to the rule of law and an attempt to usurp control of critical public lands and resources that belong to all of us.

These radical actions were taken in the wake of the federal conviction of two individuals who, after engaging in illegal poaching, attempted to cover up their actions by setting fire to public land. They were found guilty by a jury of their peers in Pendleton in 2012.

The extremists, now bullying law enforcement with threats of violence, are co-opting this situation against the wishes of these individuals and the local community, attempting to serve their own very narrow interests to the detriment of all Americans.

The Oregon Natural Desert Association supports a swift, peaceful resolution to this occupation. For decades, ONDA volunteers have worked on restoring this landscape by treating invasive weeds, removing obsolete fences and building new ones to best serve both area ranchers and avian habitat. We’ve also been involved in years-long collaborative planning efforts with ranchers, local community members, Native American tribes, state and federal agencies and others to put together a strategy to manage the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge for the benefit of all.