The militarized siege of a cattle ranch near Bunkerville,
Nevada has drawn national attention as dozens of federal agents, armed with
machine guns, sniper rifles, helicopters, and more, have descended on the ranch
to seize cattle, people, and generally show everyone who’s boss.
The conservative press has framed the
story in a variety of ways, casting the story both as matter of outright
federal seizure of private land, and as an absurd environmental crusade to save
a tortoise from extinction.
The reality looks to be a little murkier, however, as is
often the case when dealing with land ownership in the American West. Back in
September, the Las Vegas Sun reported on the Bundy family and noted that troubles
began 20 years ago when the family’s patriarch unilaterally determined that he
would no longer pay the Bureau of Land Management use fees that have long been
required to graze on federal lands.
The exact legal and historical details of
the Bundy family’s case will emerge slowly over time, but even if the family is
completely in the wrong legally (which it probably is), it’s safe to say that
taxpayer dollars might be better spent on things other than a shock and awe
campaign waged against a tiny ranch in the middle of a Nevada desert.
Nonetheless, this is just the latest dispute in a long history of ranchers
jockeying with the Federal government over land use permits and land use
regulations. .....To Read More....
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