By Denise Simon and Scott Winchell
Cliven Bundy and his entire family are the last ranchers standing in
their area of Nevada due to the heavy handedness of the Federal
Government that began in the 1870′s.
Grazing areas controlled by the Taylor Grazing Act
In what has become a battle for the ages, it is the Federal
government versus States Rights and real cowboys/ranchers just trying to
make a livelihood and live their lives in freedom.
For more than a week after the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) began seizing and removing cattle from the land they were grazing
upon, the court of public opinion and the media raced down so many
tracks including ‘Agenda 21′ objectives, nefarious politicians and their
collusion and investments, so-called endangered plants and turtles, environmentalist interference, fees gone unpaid, permitting issues, and even fracking.
It is reported that the Bundy Family did owe over a million dollars
in grazing fees, we at SUA dispute these numbers, but that does not
explain the whole story. But there is a component of this whole issue
that may have involved undue pressure from the Center for Biological
Diversity, read the letter they sent to the BLM and CountyCommission in 2010 about grazing on Federal land.
When all was said and done on Saturday, April 12, 2014, the Bundy
defense of their sacred honor was a clarion call for all God fearing,
true American patriots to come to a singular moment of solidarity with
what was at the core of Bundy’s fight, use of the open range, individual
rights, and States Rights; all running smack into the Federal behemoth
and its overreaching ways.
The Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 (43 USC 315), signed by President Roosevelt, was intended to “stop injury to the public grazing lands [excluding Alaska] by preventing overgrazing and soil deterioration; to provide for their orderly use, improvement, and development; [and] to stabilize the livestock industry dependent upon the public range” (USDI 1988). This Act was preempted by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA). (Read more about the Act here.)
Many ranchers in several western states have been run out of business
over these many, many years due to pressure from the Federal government
agencies forcing compliance with ever expanding laws and regulations
that made their livelihood impossible to endure financially and
emotionally.
But for the Bundy family, their fight became the fight of modern day
history for countless citizens across America and many supporters
saddled up and came to the aid of the Bundy family.
We were buoyed when it was announced
by the local Sheriff that the Bureau of Land Management capitulated;
they retreated that day, and cowboys from all over went to the pens on
horseback and released the seized cattle belonging to the Bundy family.
It was a vision right out of a movie, only this one was a true story unfolding before our eyes.
At one point, Interstate-15 had to be closed because of the fears of violence as the cowboys rode to free the cattle. (Read the BLM statement here.)
The local Sheriff had been negotiating for over three days with the
BLM to diffuse the situation and was accompanied by a few local
lawmakers, state and local commissioners, and the Governor of Nevada.
The scene was ugly as all sides were armed, some more heavily then
others with some 200 sharp shooter/snipers poised in the surrounding
hills, positioned by the Federal government.
This stand-off, led by Sheriff Mack, of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA.org) even included the tactic of putting women on the front line as a shield.
Also, upwards of 30,000 supporters of the Bundy family were on their
way or already standing by their side, many lawfully armed. Many
confrontations had already occurred, with people being ‘tazed,’ and the
possibility of blood being shed was very high.
Fortunately, the story introduced a new champion who entered the
fray. An American technology company called Appsame stepped up and
pledged to pay the grazing fees that Bundy refused to pay the Federal
government.
Bundy had suspended the fees some twenty plus years ago because the
BLM had not responsibly performed its mandated duties on the designated
land. The duties fell to the ranchers instead.
The land Bundy was using was maintained by Bundy, not the BLM, and he
was tired of paying a fee, and doing all the work the BLM was supposed
to do. His fees by contract were a $1.35 per head, per month, hence
money was never an issue, it was principal instead.
Initially, Bundy tried to pay the State of Nevada instead of the
Federal government but the state rejected his payment. He then paid the
county and then they too began to reject his fee payments. In short,
Bundy’s position was that the land belongs to Nevada not the Federal
government.
After some long research, a paper trail was found that
proved the Bundy argument. It is the correct argument and has been
since the late 1800’s because the Federal behemoth has not resolved many
issues that date back to the Mexican/American War.
It seems that when Mexico ceded the land to the U.S. Federal
government, they maintained full possession even though many western
states were soon created and accepted into the Union. This is where the
rub began for ranchers and the states themselves concerning ownership,
fees, regulations, rules, usage, and much more.
In theory, Bundy was right all along, but to date, an unknown number of lawsuits began over land ownership, sales, and usage.
For the most part, all legal
decisions fell in favor of the Federal Government. Even the U.S Supreme
Court ruled on a similar matter in favor of the Federal government
citing the ‘Supremacy Clause.’
On numerous occasions, U.S. lawmakers authored bills to address
solutions to Federal land issues, but in at least six Congresses, these
measures never got any traction.
In the 1980s, even President Reagan sought a solution, so he signed
an Executive Order creating a commission to study the matter, urging
Congress to assign members and create a bill he could sign. Sadly, that
failed as well. (Read about the Sagebrush Rebellion here.)
Yet, this is at the core of the Bundy argument, forcing a final
resolution for the sake of the states, ranchers, and private business.
Again we ask, why does the Federal government own so much land?
It currently owns over 80% of Nevada. We understand the need for
parks and military installations, but the Federal government controls
far too much of our free open range and is not a great steward of the
public’s property and is always susceptible to the pressures of special
interests.
Much has been discovered this week due to the Bundy travails and we are indebted to them for standing up to the collusion, underhanded tactics, political aspirations, special interest pressures, and a Federal government that has grown into an unwieldy behemoth that does not understand people in fly-over country.
The cement jungle is dictating its fiats without understanding what really takes place in the open range, or on property “we the people” own, not the people in government.
This went far beyond the imagination of most voters; we all now see the need to become better informed. With the government taking even more land, we need to be more vigilant because they are doing like the title of one article says: “Government Seizing Private Property In Colorado Because SHUT UP! That’s Why! ”
Then there is the whole Harry Reid aspect of this story which is gaining much momentum. The link lists seven questions we need to ask ourselves about Senator Reid of Nevada. Was “Dingy” Harry really involved, you be the judge?
Much has been discovered this week due to the Bundy travails and we are indebted to them for standing up to the collusion, underhanded tactics, political aspirations, special interest pressures, and a Federal government that has grown into an unwieldy behemoth that does not understand people in fly-over country.
The cement jungle is dictating its fiats without understanding what really takes place in the open range, or on property “we the people” own, not the people in government.
This went far beyond the imagination of most voters; we all now see the need to become better informed. With the government taking even more land, we need to be more vigilant because they are doing like the title of one article says: “Government Seizing Private Property In Colorado Because SHUT UP! That’s Why! ”
Then there is the whole Harry Reid aspect of this story which is gaining much momentum. The link lists seven questions we need to ask ourselves about Senator Reid of Nevada. Was “Dingy” Harry really involved, you be the judge?
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