tangent4ronpaul
04-12-2014, 01:41 PM
http://www.citizenreviewonline.org/mar_2002/state_sponsored_cattle.htm
State Sponsored Cattle Rustling:
BLM Targets Two More NV Counties
(Sheriff Stands for Due Process)
By Sierra Times
Published 03. 24. 2002 at 21:16 PST
Several ranchers have been notified that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and/or the National Park Service (NPS) may again try to impound cattle from Nevada ranges. The cattle are running at large upon historic open range ranches of Nevada or lands claimed by the Western Shoshone Indians under the Ruby Valley Treaty. Earlier this month the BLM was on the radio and in the regional press announcing their intentions. Impoundment Notices have also been posted in local newspapers and post offices.
Jim Whitmore long time rancher from Mesquite, Nevada has cattle running upon lands the Mormons settled over 140 years ago adjacent to Lake Mead, on both the Nevada and Arizona lines. Mr. Whitmore is a Mormon himself and has lived in the area for over 60 years. He owns water rights on his range. "I don't plan to let them take anymore of my cattle, they have done enough to me, my family and my cows," said Whitmore.
The National Park Service has stated in a Memorandum dated March 13, 2002, to Dennis Curtis, Acting Manager, Parashant National Monument from Superintendent Bill Dickinson, of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area that "It is our understanding that in the vicinity of 25 to 30 head of cattle remain within the Tassi Allotment. This allotment was administratively closed on March 15, 2001, in accordance with the desert tortoise recovery plan and implementing biological opinion. While the majority of the cattle have been removed, a number of the more difficult to capture animals remain."
Curtis suggested in the Memorandum that "It is felt that the use of a motorcycle in wash bottoms will enable the cattle to be cut and herded into temporary corrals, whereas horses would not be fast enough to herd the few remaining cattle." Range Management Specialist Linda Price "will be on-site to monitor such activity," said Curtis.
Reasons, stated Curtis, for this action affecting several thousand acres of land was, "removal of these cattle is an important action for the desert tortoise, and for the federally protected listed Southwestern Willow Flycatcher. These cows have been noted using newly emerging lakeside habitat which could be available for Southwestern Willow Flycatchers later this spring."
A copy of this memorandum was sent to Mr. Whitmore by Acting Manager Curtis. This would initiate the first destruction of a ranch in the Parashant National Monument and Arizona Strip.
Cliven Bundy, Clark County Director for the Nevada Live Stock Association said from his ranch in Mesquite, Nevada, "now they are claiming through more of their Lynx and Spotted Owl land grab science that 25 to 30 cows, all this man has left, are somehow going to cause harm to the tortoises and Willow Fly Catcher on several hundred miles of lake shore line as well as other ground? We don't believe it and we are not going to allow any further impoundment of cattle. It is rustling pure and simple under the color of law. They'll probably kill more tortoises and Willow Fly Catchers running over them with their souped up motorcycles and hired henchmen trying to run down some poor scared cow and her calf than the cattle themselves would ever do. Is this Price (BLM) woman going to ride on the back of the motor cycle at 40 miles an hour to assure us with her "specialist" federal title that they aren't harming anything? Horses and cattle naturally avoid holes and nests, motorcycles don't. It's all ridiculous. The cows aren't hurting anything but, possession is 9/10th's of the law and we plan to uphold Mr. Whitmore's possession."
Several Directors of the Nevada Live Stock Association and the Chief of the Western Shoshone met with Eureka County Sheriff Ken Jones in Eureka, Nevada last week. He was informed of the possible impoundment actions by BLM against local family ranchers in his county. Jones was given copies of the impoundment Notices.
The livestock group told Sheriff Jones that they and others planned to show up at any possible impoundment action by BLM.
Sheriff Jones, President of the Western Sheriffs' Association and the longest running elected Sheriff in Nevada, told the group, "I will insist that any seizure of property by federal agents must meet the same standards as if it were seized by the sheriff himself." When asked if that included due process of law as generally understood and a court order, he replied, "Absolutely!"
While the group was in meeting with Jones, he received a telephone call from Washington, D.C., from U.S. Congressman Chris Cannon of Utah. Jones later returned the call. In that conversation Cannon asked Jones how he felt about BLM rangers and county Sheriffs' Departments entering into 'cooperative agreements' or 'memorandum of understanding' where federal funding was given to the Sheriffs to help the BLM in their law enforcement duties.
Jones latter told Nevada Live Stock Association Secretary Jackie Holmgren in a telephone conversation that he didn't take any federal funds and didn't plan to. That he felt it put him in a position of having to choose between those whom he had sworn to protect and the wishes of a federal agency.
The Nevada legislature has never authorized the so-called BLM law enforcement rangers to have the power to arrest in Nevada.
All of this comes on the heels of a Nevada Legislative Report Grazing Statistics and Economic Impact completed and released in 2001 which indicates that over 470,000 AUM's (Animal Unit Months of Grazing) have been lost to Nevada and Nevada ranchers from 1980-1999 through government agency action. Almost half of these have no stated purpose for the reduction. "The amount must now be way over 500,000 AUM's amounting to millions and millions of dollars lost to our cow counties and Nevada's tax base each year. So, the result is...Nevada burns and her wild life and so-called endangered species with it because there aren't enough cows and sheep to keep the forge build-up down. It doesn't make good common sense unless you are a federal bureaucrat looking for more ways to line your own pocket at Nevada's expense. Yucca Mountain is just another example," said David Holmgren, Chairman, Nevada Live Stock Association.
The Dan sisters, ranchers from the Southern Shoshone Tribe are also targeted. Carry Dan in the mid-1990's stood in a BLM loading chute and even though a BLM official had damaged her arm and hand trying to restrain her, held off BLM agents from loading her cattle. The trucks went home empty.
A network is being formed amongst Nevada ranchers and Indians to monitor BLM movements within their counties and to sound the alarm if any impoundment actions are observed. The Western Shoshone have a "minute man" system in place that reaches over treaty lands. The Nevada Live Stock Association is implementing a first and second responder program of individuals who will come to the impound site as soon as notified. Immediate notification to both local and statewide press of any BLM or other agency menacing movements and actions against private property will also be relayed.
Jackie Holmgren, Secretary for the Nevada Live Stock Association said, "We shouldn't be afraid of taking such response. These are legitimate methods of sounding our displeasure with how these agencies are abusing our constitutional rights and have reversed the intent of the Taylor Grazing Act. Our founding fathers would have done much, much more...of which the Boston Tea Party is but one example. Many people do not know it, but the British Parliament rescinded several of their Parliamentary Acts after they understood the colonists' point of view. They would have never done that if the Colonials hadn't acted to protect their own property and rights. However, because of their deep beliefs, the great American Revolution was still fought. Now we are fighting for that very Constitution they formed. Cows are property. The BLM is not above the law."
-t
State Sponsored Cattle Rustling:
BLM Targets Two More NV Counties
(Sheriff Stands for Due Process)
By Sierra Times
Published 03. 24. 2002 at 21:16 PST
Several ranchers have been notified that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and/or the National Park Service (NPS) may again try to impound cattle from Nevada ranges. The cattle are running at large upon historic open range ranches of Nevada or lands claimed by the Western Shoshone Indians under the Ruby Valley Treaty. Earlier this month the BLM was on the radio and in the regional press announcing their intentions. Impoundment Notices have also been posted in local newspapers and post offices.
Jim Whitmore long time rancher from Mesquite, Nevada has cattle running upon lands the Mormons settled over 140 years ago adjacent to Lake Mead, on both the Nevada and Arizona lines. Mr. Whitmore is a Mormon himself and has lived in the area for over 60 years. He owns water rights on his range. "I don't plan to let them take anymore of my cattle, they have done enough to me, my family and my cows," said Whitmore.
The National Park Service has stated in a Memorandum dated March 13, 2002, to Dennis Curtis, Acting Manager, Parashant National Monument from Superintendent Bill Dickinson, of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area that "It is our understanding that in the vicinity of 25 to 30 head of cattle remain within the Tassi Allotment. This allotment was administratively closed on March 15, 2001, in accordance with the desert tortoise recovery plan and implementing biological opinion. While the majority of the cattle have been removed, a number of the more difficult to capture animals remain."
Curtis suggested in the Memorandum that "It is felt that the use of a motorcycle in wash bottoms will enable the cattle to be cut and herded into temporary corrals, whereas horses would not be fast enough to herd the few remaining cattle." Range Management Specialist Linda Price "will be on-site to monitor such activity," said Curtis.
Reasons, stated Curtis, for this action affecting several thousand acres of land was, "removal of these cattle is an important action for the desert tortoise, and for the federally protected listed Southwestern Willow Flycatcher. These cows have been noted using newly emerging lakeside habitat which could be available for Southwestern Willow Flycatchers later this spring."
A copy of this memorandum was sent to Mr. Whitmore by Acting Manager Curtis. This would initiate the first destruction of a ranch in the Parashant National Monument and Arizona Strip.
Cliven Bundy, Clark County Director for the Nevada Live Stock Association said from his ranch in Mesquite, Nevada, "now they are claiming through more of their Lynx and Spotted Owl land grab science that 25 to 30 cows, all this man has left, are somehow going to cause harm to the tortoises and Willow Fly Catcher on several hundred miles of lake shore line as well as other ground? We don't believe it and we are not going to allow any further impoundment of cattle. It is rustling pure and simple under the color of law. They'll probably kill more tortoises and Willow Fly Catchers running over them with their souped up motorcycles and hired henchmen trying to run down some poor scared cow and her calf than the cattle themselves would ever do. Is this Price (BLM) woman going to ride on the back of the motor cycle at 40 miles an hour to assure us with her "specialist" federal title that they aren't harming anything? Horses and cattle naturally avoid holes and nests, motorcycles don't. It's all ridiculous. The cows aren't hurting anything but, possession is 9/10th's of the law and we plan to uphold Mr. Whitmore's possession."
Several Directors of the Nevada Live Stock Association and the Chief of the Western Shoshone met with Eureka County Sheriff Ken Jones in Eureka, Nevada last week. He was informed of the possible impoundment actions by BLM against local family ranchers in his county. Jones was given copies of the impoundment Notices.
The livestock group told Sheriff Jones that they and others planned to show up at any possible impoundment action by BLM.
Sheriff Jones, President of the Western Sheriffs' Association and the longest running elected Sheriff in Nevada, told the group, "I will insist that any seizure of property by federal agents must meet the same standards as if it were seized by the sheriff himself." When asked if that included due process of law as generally understood and a court order, he replied, "Absolutely!"
While the group was in meeting with Jones, he received a telephone call from Washington, D.C., from U.S. Congressman Chris Cannon of Utah. Jones later returned the call. In that conversation Cannon asked Jones how he felt about BLM rangers and county Sheriffs' Departments entering into 'cooperative agreements' or 'memorandum of understanding' where federal funding was given to the Sheriffs to help the BLM in their law enforcement duties.
Jones latter told Nevada Live Stock Association Secretary Jackie Holmgren in a telephone conversation that he didn't take any federal funds and didn't plan to. That he felt it put him in a position of having to choose between those whom he had sworn to protect and the wishes of a federal agency.
The Nevada legislature has never authorized the so-called BLM law enforcement rangers to have the power to arrest in Nevada.
All of this comes on the heels of a Nevada Legislative Report Grazing Statistics and Economic Impact completed and released in 2001 which indicates that over 470,000 AUM's (Animal Unit Months of Grazing) have been lost to Nevada and Nevada ranchers from 1980-1999 through government agency action. Almost half of these have no stated purpose for the reduction. "The amount must now be way over 500,000 AUM's amounting to millions and millions of dollars lost to our cow counties and Nevada's tax base each year. So, the result is...Nevada burns and her wild life and so-called endangered species with it because there aren't enough cows and sheep to keep the forge build-up down. It doesn't make good common sense unless you are a federal bureaucrat looking for more ways to line your own pocket at Nevada's expense. Yucca Mountain is just another example," said David Holmgren, Chairman, Nevada Live Stock Association.
The Dan sisters, ranchers from the Southern Shoshone Tribe are also targeted. Carry Dan in the mid-1990's stood in a BLM loading chute and even though a BLM official had damaged her arm and hand trying to restrain her, held off BLM agents from loading her cattle. The trucks went home empty.
A network is being formed amongst Nevada ranchers and Indians to monitor BLM movements within their counties and to sound the alarm if any impoundment actions are observed. The Western Shoshone have a "minute man" system in place that reaches over treaty lands. The Nevada Live Stock Association is implementing a first and second responder program of individuals who will come to the impound site as soon as notified. Immediate notification to both local and statewide press of any BLM or other agency menacing movements and actions against private property will also be relayed.
Jackie Holmgren, Secretary for the Nevada Live Stock Association said, "We shouldn't be afraid of taking such response. These are legitimate methods of sounding our displeasure with how these agencies are abusing our constitutional rights and have reversed the intent of the Taylor Grazing Act. Our founding fathers would have done much, much more...of which the Boston Tea Party is but one example. Many people do not know it, but the British Parliament rescinded several of their Parliamentary Acts after they understood the colonists' point of view. They would have never done that if the Colonials hadn't acted to protect their own property and rights. However, because of their deep beliefs, the great American Revolution was still fought. Now we are fighting for that very Constitution they formed. Cows are property. The BLM is not above the law."
-t