FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2016
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
Hammonds imprisoned
Timeline of
Events
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
Bundy’s sons, led by
eldest, Ammon, gathered
together with an electrician
and veteran from Montana,
Ryan Payne, and held a
community meeting in
Burns attended by about 60
individuals in mid-Decem-
ber to lend support to the
Hammond family.
The situation drew the
attention of groups like
Idaho 3%, Oregon 3% and
the Oath Keepers. At this
point, many Harney Coun-
ty residents welcomed
the outside support, while
many others feared that the
mixture of the supporters
may include some inclined
toward violence.
Nonetheless, support-
ers organized a rally last
Saturday in Burns, drawing
hundreds to the streets to
support the Hammonds.
During the rally, how-
ever, participants became
aware that the Bundy
brothers along with about
20 others, had additional
plans in mind to take over
the Malheur National
Wildlife Refuge headquar-
ters near the Hammond
property.
At that time, points of
view began to diverge
in the crowd with some
against a takeover, believ-
ing such an act would
take attention away from
the Hammond family’s
situation. A minority sup-
ported the move, believing
it would garner national
media attention.
Firsthand Rally Ac-
counts.
More than a dozen Baker
County residents, some
traveling independently
and some carpooling, at-
tended the support rally.
Though reported incor-
rectly elsewhere, the Baker
County Oath Keepers
Chapter did not attend;
some of its members did in
their individual capacities.
One gentlemen put it this
way: “That’s like say-
ing the Protestant Church
attended just because I’m
Protestant.”
Jake Brown of Half-
way was in one of the
carpools. He said, “Ten
of us from Baker and
Union counties had the
opportunity of participat-
ing in the peaceful march
in Burns, January 2nd, on
behalf of the Hammond
family who has received a
very raw deal at the hands
of federal overreach. I
estimated the attending
crowd to be between 450
and 500 individuals well
equipped with flags, signs,
flowers and coins. At
around 12:30 p.m. and in a
single- digit temperature,
we commenced from our
starting point at Safeway
up the hill to the Sheriff’s
Office, then to the Ham-
mond’s home, around the
corner and down to the
Courthouse, and then back
down to Main Street and
back to our starting point.
This lasted about an hour.”
Jim Iler of Baker City
also attended. Said Iler,
“The event was staged
at the Safeway parking
lot in Burns. After some
speeches and flag-waving
and prayers and Pledge
of Allegiance, several
hundred people marched
up the street to the County
Courthouse about two
blocks away. Some of us
guessed that the crowd
might reach 500 souls,
but other estimates in the
liberal media placed the
number closer to 300 or
1870s. Harney Basin is settled. Up to 300,000
head of cattle historically documented grazing
this area.
1908. President Theodore Roosevelt declares a
wildlife refuge for birds around the lakes in the
area, later to be known as the Malheur National
Wildlife Refuge.
1964. The Hammond family purchases their
nearly 6,000-acre ranch, complete with water
rights, about an hour south of Burns in the
Harney Basin.
Submitted Photo.
Protestors came out in droves to support the Hammond family Saturday in
Burns.
less. When asked to raise
their hands, it seemed that
about half were actually
from Harney County, and
the rest from all over the
region and country. One of
our group recognized about
100 who had participated
in the Sugar Pine Mine
event this fall.”
Iler added, “We were
carrying flags and posters
decrying the fraudulent use
of ‘terrorism’ charges. The
streets were extremely icy
and dangerous, and some
marchers fell down. All
were solemn and peaceful.
The temperature had hit
minus 14 earlier that morn-
ing, but it had warmed
up to merely another cold
winter day in Burns by the
time we marched in the
early afternoon.
“At the west side of the
Courthouse is the Sheriff’s
Office. All stopped there
and most made noises
denouncing Sheriff Ward
for his failure to protect
the rights of his People by
allowing unconstitutional
federal jurisdiction into
his county. Many threw
hundreds of pennies on the
entry sidewalk to symbol-
ize his ‘sell-out.’
“Neither Sheriff Ward
nor his deputies were at
work that Saturday, and
I saw no one inside the
building. Nor did I see any
police vehicles from any
jurisdiction at any time.
The marchers continued
north for a couple more
blocks and stopped in front
of the Dwight Hammond
home. The elderly Mr. and
Mrs. Hammond received
handshakes and flowers
and speeches and songs
from the marchers and they
seemed very touched that
so many would show up in
their support.
“From there, the march-
ers turned down the hill
and back to the front of the
Courthouse, where some
continued to mill around.”
Brown added, “Many
of the residents whom we
passed walked out from
their front doors, filmed us,
read our signs, waved, and
wished us well. With only
one minor exception, I saw
nor felt any opposition to
our rally from the local
community during this part
of the day.
“Upon returning to our
starting point, there was
conversing and chatter
amongst the crowd that
was interrupted by Ammon
Bundy taking the ‘snow
hill’ with the microphone.
He very succinctly stated
that it was time for ‘those
of you who understand
what is really happen-
ing,’ to follow him to the
Malheur National Wild
Life Refuge 40 miles away
and be prepared and ready
to make a ‘hard stand.’
Those who chose not to
assist in this endeavor were
welcome to continue to
the heated gathering hall
at the fairgrounds where
there would be a town hall
style meeting. Upon being
questioned by someone
in the crowd what he
meant by ‘hard stand,’ he
repeated the term and said
that it was time to make a
choice. He stated that they
would be occupying the
refuge property and that
there was currently federal
agents and/or law enforce-
ment blocking the road
leading to the that prop-
erty. He was asked if this
would simply be a peaceful
protest at that location and
his implications were that
he and an armed group
would be ‘occupying’ the
property. He then departed
and left for the refuge.
“I immediately no-
ticed intense conversa-
tion among leadership
in the III%s, the Oath
Keepers, Central Oregon
Constitutional Guard,
Pacific Patriot Network,
and members of various
other patriot organizations.
They were shocked and
felt sideswiped with this
new plan and determined
that without the consent
and authorization of the
local Committee of Safety
that had been duly elected
at the public meeting held
in Burns on December
19th, that this action was
definitely wrong. They
felt nothing of this order
should move forward with-
out the consent and autho-
rization of the residents of
Harney County. Talk show
radio host Peter Santilli,
who was rolling camera
with a live stream across
the internet of the day’s
events, seemed confused
and not sure which direc-
tion to go.
“Moments later, close to
300 people poured into the
meeting at the fairgrounds
were two hours of heated
exchanges and frustrations
were vented regarding
Bundy’s actions. Over
the course of the open
discussion facilitated by
leadership of Idaho’s and
Oregon’s III%s, it was
discovered that Bundy’s
friends had actually taken
possession of the refuge
prior to Bundy’s state-
ments after the main
rally. A young couple who
had driven out to refuge
reported observing at least
20 armed individuals with
supplies and resources
to sustain an ongoing
operation of occupation.
The girl, Sarah Spurlock,
told me after the meet-
ing that she recorded the
first interview of Ammon
Bundy and Blaine Cooper
since arriving at the refuge.
After posting this short
interview to Facebook,
hers is the video that has
gone viral and picked up
by mainstream media since
Sunday morning after the
event. It was also revealed
that there had in fact been
no government vehicles at
the property and no road
blocks whatsoever.
“Peter Santilli finally
took the floor and cre-
ated some controversy
that finally settled down.
Emotions were high and
many felt that the peaceful
demonstration had been
organized as a decoy to
further the ‘refuge’ agenda.
Santilli was suspected and
accused of playing along
with Bundy and knowing
the plans all along as it
had been he, who had been
conducting interviews and
spending time with the
main players of Bundy’s
plan.
“We had plenty of con-
versation for our three hour
ride home!”
Iler’s account corrobo-
rates Browns. He went on
to say, “We all ended
up back at the Safeway
lot, and milled around
in groups until Ammon
Bundy climbed up on a
snowbank and told every-
one that those who wanted
to come should immedi-
ately go to the Malheur
Refuge headquarters about
40 miles to the south. We
all thought it was to be just
another stand-in-front-of-a-
building-and-protest waste
of time, and I didn’t see
anybody making a move
to go.
“But a minute later, one
in our group ran up to me
with wide eyes and said
that he had just heard that
Ammon Bundy had seized
and occupied the Refuge
headquarters. Visions of a
shootout and all hell break-
ing loose flooded my mind.
The rumor was starting to
pick up speed among the
crowd, and everyone was
getting agitated.
“Other ‘leaders’ of the
march then pleaded with
everyone to go to the
Fairgrounds Memorial
Building to talk about this
surprising twist. We joined
the parade going there,
and were among the first
hundred or so. I guessed
that perhaps 300 came
and went during the next
couple of hours.
“As one after another of
the 3% cadre from Idaho
and other event organizers
spoke to the crowd, several
people became angry over
what they thought was a
‘hijacking’ of the event
for another purpose that
they had not known about,
a purpose that was po-
tentially deadly and that
eroded the effect of the
public demonstration just
finished.”
SEE HAMMONDS PAGE 7
1970s. Over a period of years, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (USFWS) grows the
Refuge to 187,000 acres after purchasing many
of the ranches adjoining. The Hammonds and
some neighbors refuse to sell.
1991-1993. The Hammonds file for new water
rights on a source to water their livestock. The
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and US-
FWS express their disagreement with this filing
to the family. The USFWS files suit to block
the water rights and loses in court.
1994. USFWS and BLM begin fencing off the
Hammonds’ new water source. Dwight Ham-
mond is arrested for interfering with Federal
contractors. Dwight spends two days behind
bars, eventually to be released with no charges
filed.
1994-1995. The BLM revokes the Hammonds’
grazing permits without a stated cause. In order
to prevent cattle trespass from their private
lands onto the BLM-managed lands, Ham-
monds are required to build miles of new fenc-
ing. With costs estimated in the hundreds of
thousands of dollars, the Hammonds are unable
to afford the fencing and instead, remove the
cattle. They sell one of their houses to purchase
new land that includes grazing rights. BLM
then revokes those grazing rights.
2001. Steven calls the local fire department to
notify them of a planned burn on their land,
common to area farmers and ranchers. The fire
jumps onto BLM land, burning 127 acres. The
Hammonds put out the fire themselves.
2006. A lightning storm touches off multiple
fires on the adjoining BLM lands to the Ham-
mond Ranch. The Hammonds set a backburn
to protect their property. The backburn extin-
guishes the fire. Harney County Sheriff Glerup
arrests Steven after inviting him into town for
coffee. Dwight is also subsequently arrested.
The District Attorney reviews the case and
makes the decision that the evidence does not
warrant prosecution.
2011. Five years after the 2006 arrests, the U.S.
Attorney brings charges under the Federal Anti
terrorism Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996.
2012. The Hammonds are found guilty of the
charges and sentenced. Judge Mike Hogan
waives the minimum 5-year sentence under the
1996 Anti-Terrorism Act, stating a violation of
8th Amendment.
January 4, 2013. Dwight and Steven turn
themselves in to authorities and serve out their
sentence. Dwight serves three months. Steven
serves a year.
December 15, 2015. Ammon Bundy, son of
Nevada’s Cliven Bundy, Ryan Payne of Mon-
tana, and others help organize a community
meeting in Burns to support the Hammond
family. About 60 attend. A community safety
group is formed.
January 2, 2016. A rally in support of the
Hammond family is held in Burns, attended by
hundreds of individuals, including locals and
some out-of-area groups such as Oath Keepers,
Oregon 3% and Idaho 3%.
January 2, 2016, late afternoon. Ammon
Bundy and two of his brothers head up a group
of about 20 individuals to take over the Mal-
heur National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters.
Oregon Department of Transportation closes
highways around the area due to law enforce-
ment activity. FBI is en route to Burns.
January 4, 2016. Dwight and Steven surrender
to Federal authorities to begin incarceration in
a California prison.