Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters

In 1958, as a high school sophomore, I was allowed to tag along (with a carload of other nerds) on a college ornithology class field trip to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. My memories are faded, but I still vividly recall seeing whistling swans swimming in the pond in front of the headquarters building, the tiny and remote place called Frenchglen, learning for the first time something of the history of Pete French and the P Ranch, and feeling overwhelmed by the vast emptiness of southeast Oregon. Because of these memories, I have followed the stories of the armed occupation of the headquarters with some interests. I expected someone else to post the location, but since that hasn't happened, I offer it here.

The news is widely reported in the media, and since it is highly unlikely that anyone will look at this post who is not aware already of the events, I'll not attempt to summarize them. For anyone who wishes to know more, extensive coverage is available at CNN.com, as well as countless other internet sites. For anyone who does not trust liberal media, the point of view of the occupiers is well represented on You Tube and numerous other sites.

Attachments:

Malheur Wildlife Preserve Headquarters.kmz (820 B)

Thanks, washi. I was not objective enough to post this news earlier in its development. I'll just say a few things from the perspective of a real live Oregonian. I live not far from the small town of Burns, near where this is taking place, and have followed this story closely. It's a conservative, even ultra-conservative area. Oregon is an open-carry state, meaning, European friends, that you can walk around anywhere with your gun in your hand as long as it's licensed. The eastern 2/3 of the state is by no stretch liberal, but almost no one wants these "militias" here. They have been told repeatedly to leave, including by the Paiute tribe, citizens groups of Burns, the Sheriff of Harney County, the mayor, clergy and many others. The schools have been closed due to the unpredictability of armed militias, the chaos of news media and heavy traffic invading the town.  Due to their anarchic determination that the ranchers of eastern Oregon need them to come and occupy federal land, they refuse to go back to Nevada, Texas, Arizona and Idaho. There is genuine concern in Oregon that nut jobs militants from all over the country will show up in their delusional frenzy desire to conquer the Bureau of Land Management for the poor, downtrodden people of Oregon.

There, that was objective, wasn't it? 

There are now protests in several Oregon cities, and even at the Idaho state capital of Boise, over the continuing armed militia presence at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.  Protesters include conservationists, bird-watchers, ordinary nature lovers and hunters.  Source



The militia itself has not been on national TV for quite awhile and there is only brief coverage on local Oregon TV news.

This was my favorite sign. 

Washington Post 
Breaking news...

Leaders of occupation at refuge in Oregon arrested; 1 killed, another wounded in highway confrontation


The FBI says the leaders of an armed occupation at an Ore. wildlife refuge were arrested Jan. 26, after a confrontation during a traffic stop. Shots were fired and one member of the group was killed. (Reuters)

In a dramatic finale to the armed occupation of a central Oregon wildlife refuge that began Jan. 2, eight people, including occupation leaders Ammon and Ryan Bundy, were arrested Tuesday, most of them after being stopped along a highway about 50 miles north of the refuge. During an apparent confrontation on the road, gunfire was exchanged, killing one and wounding another.

Neither of the men shot were named by authorities. But Arianna Finicum Brown, the daughter of the occupiers’ spokesperson LaVoy Finicum, told the Oregonian that her father was the man killed during the exchange of gunfire. The Bundy Ranch Facebook account also said Finicum had been killed as did two participants in the occupation speaking to The Washington Post.

Finicum, a 54-year-old rancher from Cane Beds, Ariz.had previously told NBC News that he’d rather die than be arrested.

The wounded person, not named by officials but identified by the Oregonian as Ryan Bundy, was treated and placed under arrest, authorities said. No law enforcement personnel were injured in the confrontation.

Anthony Bosworth, of Yakima, Wash., has been at the Malheur Refuge and told Oregon Public Broadcasting that "Ammon Bundy was headed to a meeting in John Day, Ore., Tuesday, about 100 miles from the occupied refuge.  ..the FBI and Oregon State Police began what they called an enforcement action 'to bring into custody a number of individuals associated with the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. During that arrest, the Oregonian reported that Ryan Bundy and Finicum resisted orders to surrender, an assertion unconfirmed by police or the FBI, and gunfire broke out." 

Another source: CNN