This post is political. I have been following the events of the Bundy family and their militia in Harney County, OR. I have to weigh in on this. It may seem that I am taking the side of liberals and big government, but to me I think I am taking the side of common sense.
First off for anyone that doesn't know, I will give a quick recap of the standoff going on at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. This will be extremely basic and if you are interested in what is going on, even if you completely disagree with my stance, by all means do some more research and get more facts than I am giving.
A bunch of ranchers took over a federal Building in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. They are armed militia. They want the wildlife refuge property (owned by the U.S. government) returned to the citizens of Harney County. They say they follow all the laws of their state, but do not recognize the government of the United States. Members of the Bundy family ( the leaders of this rebellion) have been arrested and sent to jail for poaching and arson on public lands. The Bundy family owes over one million dollars in grazing fees for having their cattle feeding on federal land. They refuse to pay these fees. The main focus right now is the takeover of the visitor center at this refuge. The men are armed. Up to now, they have refused to leave.
That is the quick explanation of what is going on. I have read from Libertarian and Conservative sources, how the government has messed with this family for years. It would not be hard to find if you do a little research online if you are interested.
I still can not sympathize with these guys. First I want to start with this, some people think the people in this militia are terrorist. I wont go quite that far. Although they have illegally seized a US government building, they have as of yet not hurt anyone and they have not held hostages. That is about the only nice thing I'll say about these people. In my opinion, they are not terrorists, but they certainly are criminals.
They do not want to pay grazing fees for their cattle to feed on public land. Want to know how much it costs a rancher with a proper permit to graze his cattle on public land. $1.69 per month!!!
That's it. Think about that, I raised chickens, and I couldn't feed my six pound chicken for a month on a dollar sixty nine. Do dairy farmers in Wisconsin and Vermont get to graze off federal lands for a dollar sixty nine a cow. No, they have to pay for grain and food. These idiots are complaining that the government shouldn't own the land so they shouldn't have to pay. Please shut up.
Next, lets assume that all federal lands that are not national parks are given to the western states to do what they please. Has anyone thought this through. They want to privatize the west. Okay, hypothetically, all the land at Malhuer is given to Harney County. Do these ranchers think the county is going to let the cows graze there? What if the county decides to sell off chunks to the highest bidder? A 190,00 acre wildlife refuge that every American can use can be sold off to real estate builders, private farms, vacation homes. So instead of every American getting to use this beautiful piece of land, only a few get to live there?
This is what I don't understand about the Bundys thinking. If the government gives the land to the states or the counties, and they can do with it what they please, do they really think that grazing will be allowed? It makes no sense.
I admit, that our federal government has not been the best stewards of the land. They make mistakes in every branch. The EPA, Fish and Wildlife Service, and the BLM certainly have done things that I not only disagree with, but are just plain stupid. That said, I put my faith in our federal government over the state government of western states. If those states had their way, predators would be eliminated. They would slaughter bears, wolves, and coyotes. The rivers would be polluted because, they sure wouldn't have laws against pollution. It is the standards set by the Feds, that keep states inline.
I am outdoorsman. I fish, I hike, go birding, I camp. I love being outdoors. Most of my pursuits are passive. However, the only reason I do not go deer hunting is because I can't justify buying a four hundred dollar shotgun, when I prefer eating steak to venison. Make no mistake, I am not against hunting. If I lived out west, elk hunting would be one of my favorite things to do. To have a set of elk antlers at the gate of your land is a right of passage in the west.
I do disagree with predator hunting. My reason is actually economical. I think a live wolf or bear is worth more than a dead one. The way I see it, if a wolf (or bear) is killed a couple people benefit. Obviously the hunter, maybe a guide. However, the more bears or wolves that are easy to see, the more tourist will want to go and see them. This helps motels, restaurants and the local economy. Obviously, yes, a hunter will have to pay for lodging etc. But one hunter killing a wolf is far different than one hundred people going to see that live wolf.
I do not understand why the western people want federal lands privatized. I own a house on .3 acres. However, I live three hours away from a 750,000 acre national forest in the White Mountains. I am very grateful for this. I can tell you that westerners love the outdoors. My son and I joked that children born in Wyoming could fly fish and ride a horse right out of the womb. We saw kids that were five years old riding a horse like pros. Same goes for fly fishing kids. Everyone hunts.
So why these people would want the states or local governments to take over HUGE national forests confuses me. There are national forest in Wyoming and Colorado that are two million acres. Imagine having two million acres to hike, trout fish, or elk hunt. It seems like heaven to me. But for some reason locals don't want the feds in their state. Instead, they'd rather take the chance their local governments will do the right thing.
The right thing is different depending on your agenda. Local ranchers would want to buy up the land for a song. Miners, and oil companies would want rights. If they get their way, sure a few people will benefit, and profit but everyone else including hunters and hikers get shut out.
No thanks, I'll take my chances with the feds. That way all of us to be able to use the millions of acres of public lands. So Bundy's, go home and pay your grazing fees.
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