Oregon Siege: Vandalism, Intimidation of Civilians on the Rise, Sheriff Says

Although Oregon was not among the states surveyed, Dave Metz, one of the private pollsters hired by Colorado College, said Monday that based on past surveys done in Oregon, “If anything, I would expect the responses to be as strong, if not stronger, in the same direction in Oregon”.

The armed occupiers who took over a federal wildlife refuge aren’t just wreaking havoc on this OR community, the local sheriff said – they’re also altering the refuge to their liking.

But USFWS spokesman Jason Holm said that “removing fences, damaging any refuge property or unauthorized use of equipment would be additional unlawful actions by the illegal occupiers”.

Ranchers such as the Hammonds who reduce their costs by using public land for grazing are little more than self-entitled socialists who have been on the government teat for generations.

“I feel like this is the first step of many in restoring ranchers’ rights”, Bundy said.

Ward said law enforcement at every level “will not be intimidated from doing their jobs”.

Ammon Bundy and his followers seized buildings at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, Jan. 2. Their demands include the transfer of public lands and the release of two local ranchers who were imprisoned on arson charges.

Three days before the occupation, the Portland-based paper stated 17 employees at the wildlife refuge were told to go home early for the holiday weekend and not return until instructed otherwise.

On Monday, KOIN 6 News learned a data breach by the militia led the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ask some if its employees to relocate from their homes until the situation is resolved.

Ward told community members, “there’s an hour glass and it’s running out”, The Oregonian reported (http://goo.gl/CZFaWR ).

Bundy’s group used Dwight and Steven Hammond’s court battle as an excuse to bring more anti-government allies to southeast Oregon, Ward claimed.

This is the second week the group has occupied the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. Bundy called the occupation a “moral and righteous stand for the future of this country”.

“I feel threatened, but I’m not going to let a bunch of bullies scare me off of this”, said VeneKlasen, who works for the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and said he had come from New Mexico to register his complaint. The group represents sportsmen, including hunters and anglers.

The leaders of the occupation are sons of Cliven Bundy, whose standoff with federal officials in 2014 in Nevada may have emboldened his sons to repeat the effort.

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