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THURSDAY, JANUARY 7,2016
FRINGE GROUP
While several in Harney County have a high regard
for the Hammonds, appreciate their contributions to
the community, and are sympathetic to what they con
sider a grave injustice in the charges and re-sentenc-
ing, there are several documented dust-ups over the
years between the Hammonds and the Bureau of
Land Management. At the center are Dwight and
Steve Hammond, father and son, who are cattle
ranchers in Harney County.
Included in a variety of complaints and arrests over
the years, is an incident reported by the Oregonian in
which Steven Hammond used sandpaper to remove
initials carved by a troubled young relative of Ham
mond's on his own chest. This same family member
was present during the time the fires were set and he
testified against his grandfather and uncle.
In 2012, Judge Michael Hogan sentenced the Ham
monds to serve terms which were far less than the
federal minimum sentencing requirements for arson.
Dwight, age 73, served three months and his son,
Steve, served a year. The federal minimum sentenc
ing was five.
Amanda Marshall, former Oregon U.S. Attorney,
deemed Judge Hogan's lesser sentence illegal. The
appeals court sided with the prosecutor and the U.S.
Supreme Court upheld the decision. In the fall of
2015, Judge Ann Aiken ordered the Hammond men
to complete their five year sentence. They reported to
prison on Monday, Jan. 4 at a federal correctional in
stitution in California. On a separate note, Marshall
resigned from her position as U.S. Attorney in May of
2015 following an unrelated Internal investigation by
the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of the Inspec
tor General.
The Hammond case caught the attention nationwide
of groups like Oath Keepers and militia, including the
Baker County Oath Keepers organization led by Jim
Eiler and Jake Brown.
Burns resident Monica McCanna protested the militia's
presence in Harney County and said the community
was scared.
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Leading up to the Protest Rally and March
For a couple of months, a flurry of information has
been circulating about the controversial Hammond re
sentencing. Many in the ranching community who
also have experienced difficulties with federal agen-
cies have shown strong support for the Hammond
case.
Tensions over the arson charges and alleged do-
mestic terrorist verbiage especially struck a nerve with
ranchers who lost cattle, grazing, and timber during
the wildfires this summer as a result of back burns set
by the government while trying to control the spread
of the wildfires which consumed hundreds of thou-
sands of acres. Ranchers and other also blame the
government and environmental extremists for the mis-
management of public land and forests which they be-
lieve made the lightning caused fires even more
devastating.
At a meeting of the Baker County Livestock Associ-
ation (BCLA) this fall, Senator Ted Ferrioli summa-
rized the case and several ranchers including Curtis
Martin of North Powder expressed serious concerns
about becoming the "next Hammond." Some ranch-
ers who are also volunteer fire fighters expressed
worry about possible ramifications when fighting fire
should it extend to federal ground. However, even
within the BCLA, there was a difference in opinion
about the matter with rancher Gregg Miles rejecting
language in the initial proposed resolution of support
and sending of money to help support the Ham
monds' legal case. The cattlemen finally came to a
consensus and issued a letter protesting the severity
of the sentence and the precedence it would set
across the industry. They also voted, although not
unanimously, to send $500 to the Oregon Cattlemen's
Association Stewardship fund for the Hammond de
fense.
Prior to the protest and rally, the Baker County
Chapter of Oath Keepers posted a statement saying,
"Patriots across the nation are closely watching the
Hammond case in Harney County. Some of our Baker
County Oath Keepers traveled to a Town Hall meeting
in Burns last week on a fact-finding mission."
Among those Baker County Oath Keepers in atten
dance at the Burns meeting were Kody Justus, a local
rancher and vice chairman of the Baker County Re
publican Central Committee and Jake Brown, assis
tant coordinator of the Baker County Oath Keepers.
Justus is also a member of the Natural Resources Ad
visory Committee and filed an unsuccessful Ethics
Complaint against Commissioner Tim Kerns, which
was deemed unfounded.
The Burns town hall meeting which was video taped
included speaker Ammon Bundy, son of Cliven Bundy
who, along with an unconfirmed number of armed
militia, seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
30 miles from Burns. His intentions were unbe
knownst and an unwelcome surprise to many who
had attended the rally. The situation has captured na
tional attention and is a developing story.
Bundy has posted several videos and has made nu
merous comments including those condemning Oath
Keeper Founder, Stewart Rhodes, who told fellow
Oath Keepers to disregard Bundy's call to action, to
stand down, and not go to Burns. Rhodes did say that
if circumstances changed, or if new information was
continued from page 1
provided, he indeed may join the Bundy effort.
Rhodes was among those in the armed stand off with
the BLM at the Bundy ranch in 2014 in Nevada.
Said Rhodes, "We cannot force ourselves or our
protection on people who do not want it. Dwight and
Steven Hammond have made it clear, through their
attorney, that they just want to turn themselves in and
serve out their sentence. And that clear statement of
their intent should be the end of the discussion on
this. No patriot group or individual has the right or the
authority to force an armed stand off on this family, or
around them, against their wishes. You cannot help
someone who does not want your help, and who are
not willing and ready to take a hard stand them
selves,"
At Odds
Despite Rhodes's message to stand down, militia
traveled from very long distances and were there well
in advance of the rally. Many within the Burns com
munity have reported not feeling safe.
As a result, the evening prior to the rally, a meeting
was held at the fairgrounds by community members
who wanted to address the outside militia directly. The
menacing actions of some who reportedly had intim
idated members of the community were addressed
and community members were assured by the out
siders there would be no violence.
On the day of the rally, two women braved the single
digit temperatures, holding signs opposing the militia's
presence. They said they respected the right for a
peaceful protest but did not understand why the militia
felt Harney County was the appropriate place to have
it. They were concerned something else might hap
pen, and it turns out they were right.
Monica McCanna and Kris Rines said they have fully
supported the Hammonds and believed the sentence
was too harsh. Both have lived in the community for
years-McCanna for 14 and Rines her whole life.
Rines said her father and mother had worked for the
federal government and that she knew the Ham
monds well. She also said she understood why peo
ple were angry at some of the actions of the BLM and
wondered why the Hammonds were being so se
verely treated while BLM officials who had fires get
away from them were not equally held accountable.
"If that's the standard, then some of them need to
be in jail, too," said Rines.
"This [interference by the militia] is not what the
Hammonds want. They are reporting to prison on
Monday, they are serving their time," Rines said.
She also said she had talked to Ammon Bundy Sat
urday morning and asked him to cancel the militia's
rally. He declined.
"The community is scared," said McCanna who also
stated that government employees had been told not
to wear their uniforms for the past two weeks.
Gathered at Safeway in Burns
The protesters gathered in the Burns Safeway park
ing lot. Reports of there being 300 seem high, but the
exact count is unknown. A beige colored sedan which
also appeared during the Cliven Bundy armed show
down in Nevada with the BLM had lettering that read:
"If you were born in 1980 and after. You may be im
planted with a government microchip without your
knowledge."
Among the outside patriot and militia groups were
some locals from the Burns area and about eight from
Baker County including rancher and Oath Keeper
Kody Justus, ranchers Kent and Bev Justus, Kadie
Justus Cosby and David McQuisten whose wife Kerry
owns the Baker County Press.
Following the rally at Safeway, protesters walked up
the hill to the Harney County Sheriff's Office and threw
pennies on the front walk. One of the members of the
protest said the pennies landing on the walk were the
sound of freedom ringing and were to represent the
people taking back their land from the federal govern
ment.
Two young teen aged girls who were not part of the
protest responded saying, "No that's the sound of a
diet Coke. Are there 99 of them?"
The girls began gathering up the change, apparently
to buy sodas. They also rebutted shouts from some
of the protesters who exclaimed that Sheriff Ward was
like Obama, an enemy of the people, and needing to
go. The girls shouted back, "No he's not."
Sheriff Ward has received threatening emails and
the militia and Oath Keepers have dubbed him an
enemy of the people because he did not obey their
demands to offer sanctuary to the Hammonds. Oath
Keepers contend the Sheriff is the highest ranking law
officer and believe no federal officer outranks the
Sheriff. Because Ward has been cooperative with fed
eral officials, they label him an enemy of the people.
Other citizens staunchly disagree and have a high
regard for Sheriff Ward and the job he is doing to pro
tect the citizens of the community.
Protester at the Harney County Sheriff's Office saying
he was holding the flag upside down because Obama
and Sheriff Ward are upside down.
ally to Harney County. Economic and Wage data from
the Oregon Employment Department data in the sec
ond quarter of 2015, shows the largest employer in
Harney County is the government with federal gov
ernment wages of $2,943,573 and total government
wages (local, state, and federal) of $11,312, 369.
Ammon Bundy says that he and militia members will
be returning the federal land to the locals, allowing
ranchers to ranch, loggers to log and miners to mine.
He says he will urge the patriots to buy all their sup
plies in Burns. Bundy says that the federal govern
ment has blocked the ability of the people to make a
living and that Harney County is in poverty as a direct
result of the tyranny of the federal government.
Stewart Rhodes stated that Bundy, who continues
his demand for other "patriots" and "brothers" to come
join the effort has "written checks he expects others
to cash." Other Oath Keepers who disagree with
Bundy have said "if blood is spilled it will be on his
shoulders."
Commission Chairman Says Proactive and On
going Communication is Vital
Regardless where a person's opinion stands on the
Hammond issue, citizens in Baker County have heard
much of the same rhetoric that has resulted in the mili
tia's takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
Battles with state and federal agencies over gun
rights, logging, in stream water rights, motorized ac
cess, sage grouse, last summer's forest fires, coordi
nation versus cooperation, and "returning" federal
land to local control are topics which have been rou
tinely discussed, sometimes resulting in heated ex
changes.
County Commission Chairman, Bill Harvey says that
he and the county work diligently to be proactive and
help issues from rising to such a level as what's hap
pening in Harney County.
"I listen to what is going on in the community and try
and address the issues people might have. The com
munication we have is proactive and ongoing. We
have to remember any issues, say with agencies like
the BLM, aren't at the local level. Our relationship with
them is great. The battle is with a difference in philos
ophy at a much higher level," said Harvey.
Harvey also said, "I believe our government has
learned how to handle these situations. Harney
County is different from Baker County. There's much
more vast, open space there. I think they are working
to bring a peaceful resolution to this matter. I truly be
lieve so."
Harvey said he supports the Hammonds and be
lieves the actions against them are heavy handed and
out of line.
What are the Effects for the Burns Community?
Before heading home, I drove downtown and
stopped at a quilt fabric shop.
The owner urged me to move my car (which was the
only one parked on all of Main Street) to a side street
saying they were expecting a protest to take place
and were unsure of what might happen. I was the only
person in the store.
"People here like to carry guns, and we're not sure
what might happen," the owner said. "I just want to
warn my customers," she said.
I heeded her advice and perused Iper store for just a
few minutes before leaving. She said she wasn't sure
what was happening and that only three stores were
open downtown.
High School games which were scheduled to be
held in Burns on Saturday were moved to Vale and
school which was supposed to restart Monday of this
week following Christmas Vacation, has been post
poned until further notice.
Go Home and Be With Your Families
Sheriff Ward of Harney County held a press release
on Monday, Jan. 4. Below is a portion of his state
ment:
"....Harney County is a community of approximately
7,000 people; almost 5,000 of us live here in the com
munity of Burns and Hines.
This event has had a significant impact on that com
munity.
Our goal is to work together to restore calm and reg
ular services for the people we serve.
This incident originally started when people from
outside the state arrived in an attempt to prevent the
Hammonds from returning to prison. This began as a
peaceful protest.
It took an unfortunate turn when some of those peo
ple broke off and began an armed occupation of the
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
The Harney County Commissioners and I have re
quested law enforcement assistance from Oregon
State Sheriff's Association and Oregon State Police.
Sheriff's Offices from around the state have also
sent resources to assist us.
We requested this additional support to make sure
the citizens of Harney County are safe. This is our top
priority.
I want to directly address the people at the wildlife
refuge: You said you were here to help the citizens of
Harney County. That help ended when a peaceful
protest became an armed and unlawful protest.
The Hammonds have turned themselves in. It is time
for you to leave our community. Go home, be with
your own families and end this peacefully."
$1.9 Million Dollar Impact from Wildlife Refuge
According to an economic impact statement by the
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife from August
2015, the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge now oc
cupied by the militia, brings $1.9 million dollars annu-
A Developing Story
This remains a developing story which will have last
ing ramifications. It is our sincere hope that cool
heads will prevail on the part of all the decision mak
ers involved in the situation.