I was born in Oregon and other than a few years in Germany and a year in Japan I have lived here most of my life. I was born and still live west of the Cascades in the Willamette Valley but I have spent a lot of time East of the mountains in Central and Eastern Oregon and that includes Harney County. South Eastern Oregon is a jewel in the crown of the United States from the majestic Steens Mountain, the Alvord Desert and the Malheur Wild Life Refuge itself. This story has not received much national attention in part because it’s an election year but perhaps more important because most of the country really has no interest in a county in Oregon that is as big as Vermont but has a population of less than 10,000 people. Most of the ranchers get along with the BLM as they are only charged $1.35 a head for grazing rights as opposed to the $20.00 a head they would be charged on private land.
The Malheur Wild Life Refuge is a resting place for migrating birds and so this must be resolved quickly. Most of Harney Counties economy used to be based on timber and ranching but now it is based on tourism and ranching. These criminal militants have upset upset that balance. The four remaining should be told to surrender and submit to custody. If they don’t they should be treated like anyone else that resists arrest.