Birds?-------------------------Why, they don't even carry guns. We don't cotton' to them birds using our property. How else are we going to show the gummint' who's boss?
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Although uplifting, it is the height of naivety for the author and commenters to use the past tense when referring to the rural jihadist movement in and around Malheur, or the rest of the rural West. Current headlines here in Oregon speak to the fact that law enforcement officials and their families are under daily threat from the so-called Patriot movement due to the Malheur response. And, many county sheriffs and western politicians are far from supportive of environmental conservation or federal stewardship, instead allying themselves closely with the occupiers' illegal positions. Most local community and religious leaders were blindsided by the Malheur occupation, but many in the ranching sector and the Mormon church either openly or implicitly continue to support the ecoterrorists. Because lots of these folks are heavily armed and not shy about threatening those who disagree with them, birders might want to pack body armor along with binocs.
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I had the pure joy of photographing wildlife on Malheur Refuge for five weeks last April-May. Look at our Malheur slideshows (TerrySteeleNaturePhotography.com) and you will be amazed how much lives in that vast land. It 's a jewel of a place!
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Find the Malheur near you! Just look for green on the map and go!
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Many, many thanks to Dave Seminara for giving NYT readers a glimpse of the "after" of the illegal takeover of land held in trust for all the people of the US. So many of us wondered what happened when the occupiers left, what damage was done and how the communities surrounding Malheur were recovering. I am happy for the "silver linings" of increased awareness of this sanctuary for birds and other wildlife and increased funding (possibly) for those who are stewards of the land on behalf of the American people. I wish the many small communities and all the residents of the surrounding area peace and healing.
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Here's hoping the clowns in cowboy hats have to pay for the damage.
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Many people have a misunderstanding of federal lands, as much as people want to be angry about the use of such lands, it is a carefully orchestrated management plan to hopefully appease everyone.
My home is a stones throw away from public lands. I use these lands daily for recreation, cutting firewood to heat my home, shooting guns, and finding solitude. Not sure how I could exist without unrestricted access to such a place.
My home is a stones throw away from public lands. I use these lands daily for recreation, cutting firewood to heat my home, shooting guns, and finding solitude. Not sure how I could exist without unrestricted access to such a place.
Wonderful article. I visited Burns (and Bend) s couple of years ago. The occupiers were and are very misguided, to put it diplomatically. Today we have the likes of Utah's Jason Chaffetz, Mia Love, Rob Bishop and Chris Stewart trying to pass laws that support what the Bundys, et al, wished for--the handover of Federal control of these lands.
Or, I should say, that Chaffetz, et al, have sided with the terrorists.
Or, I should say, that Chaffetz, et al, have sided with the terrorists.
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Mr. Seminara, thank you for this article -- encouraging and hopeful and true to the real meaning of this wildlife refuge. It is a treasure that belongs to all of us!
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I took up wildlife photography a few years ago, my first outdoor hobby. As Dave Seminara found, being on the lookout for elusive wildlife really demands that you open up your senses and "be here now," arguably the opposite of most of daily life.
Many visitors--not to mention residents--may not know it, but New York City is one of the major birding sites in the U.S. People come from all over the world in the spring for the chance of seeing over 200 species--from hummingbirds to egrets--in Central Park alone. In fact about 350 species live or pass through here every year, and according to the Wild Bird Fund, NYC's nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation center, the city boasts 50,000 open acres, more than 13 of our national parks.
So if you're a New Yorker and this article has you yearning for birds, you can jump on the subway to get to a birder's paradise!
Many visitors--not to mention residents--may not know it, but New York City is one of the major birding sites in the U.S. People come from all over the world in the spring for the chance of seeing over 200 species--from hummingbirds to egrets--in Central Park alone. In fact about 350 species live or pass through here every year, and according to the Wild Bird Fund, NYC's nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation center, the city boasts 50,000 open acres, more than 13 of our national parks.
So if you're a New Yorker and this article has you yearning for birds, you can jump on the subway to get to a birder's paradise!
5
During the illegal occupation, I needed three articles: it happened, a man died, it was over. I didn't need any of the jillions of articles otherwise written and broadcast. But I needed this article, every bit of it, and I'm glad I got the opportunity to read it. Thank you.
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And who is surprised that the Bundy crew stole Tim's camera equipment and binoculars?
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The sagebrush steppe in Malheur is pretty heavily grazed and doesn't support large numbers of Greater Sage-Grouse. There are still active leks, but they are hard to find. Contact someone at Golden Eagle Audubon Society in Boise to suggestions on places to see active leks. And right now they are very active.
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What those a-holes thought they were going to do with a wildlife refuge - even if they did manage to get their hands on it - would go down as one of the great crimes against nature. Name me any place that, once wide open to the public, doesn't get turned into a toxic waste removal site worthy of the EPA's Top Ten. Wrecked cars and trucks, waste landfills, rampant lumbering, bulldozers digging for coal and metal ores, too many cattle for too little grass or water, yeah, these bozos sure had our best interests at heart.
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Did you know that the Frenchglen Hotel is a "socialist" hotel"? It's owned by the state of Oregon through Oregon Parks and operated under contract.
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if you go in the spring don't forget to watch for skin buzzards, aka mosquitoes. mr jenkins also gives local history tours
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Harney County is one of my favorite places on the planet - can't wait to go back for my annual birding trip. I also recommend the Diamond Hotel - great little historic hotel and wonderful food. Harney County has everything - besides world class birding, very interesting geology, open spaces, Steens Mountain, Diamond Craters, hot springs, and ranching culture. It's epitomizes what makes the West special, and why we need to protect our natural areas. The County has been been through a traumatic experience. Visiting these areas and supporting local businesses is one way to show support.
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While the misguided and misinformed miscreants were messing the place up,
stealing others' property and destroying Native graves and artifacts with their trash and filth, we were in Thailand on a birding trip to several national parks. The takeover was big enough international news that we joked with folks that we had to come to Thailand for birding because our preferred place to do so in our home state was currently occupied.
We have been to Malheur several times over the years, usually for birding, camping, and sighting other wildlife. It is a stunningly beautiful area, as is Steens Mountain just south of there. As Mr. Seminara says, it is a wonderful feeling to sight a magnificent bird in flight as one drives along, to pull over and get a good look. as other sentient beings with whom we share the earth follow their own paths. We pause to gaze and breathe, and resolve to work harder to save that earth from the ravages of greed, acquisition, and over-consumption.
stealing others' property and destroying Native graves and artifacts with their trash and filth, we were in Thailand on a birding trip to several national parks. The takeover was big enough international news that we joked with folks that we had to come to Thailand for birding because our preferred place to do so in our home state was currently occupied.
We have been to Malheur several times over the years, usually for birding, camping, and sighting other wildlife. It is a stunningly beautiful area, as is Steens Mountain just south of there. As Mr. Seminara says, it is a wonderful feeling to sight a magnificent bird in flight as one drives along, to pull over and get a good look. as other sentient beings with whom we share the earth follow their own paths. We pause to gaze and breathe, and resolve to work harder to save that earth from the ravages of greed, acquisition, and over-consumption.
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In a democracy the people are the government so when the government sets aside land for purposes of recreation or ecological protection, etc. it is we the people who are doing it for the benefit of ourselves and future generations. We need more public ownership of these resources rather than more exploitation of them for the benefit of private businesses.
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The form of government in the USA is not a democracy, it is a constitutional republic. The government is a creation of the people and subject to the people. The people created a document that outlines what the fed gov can do, the US Constitution. If an activity is not in there then the fed gov cannot do lit, like manage/own vast tracts of land within a state.
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Oh, I see. Thanks for reminding me of how the Ranch Stupidians interpret public land ownership and management.
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d w, you are under the same illusion the Bundys were, that your idiosyncratic interpretation of our Nation's founding document is superior to everyone else's. In reality the US Constitution has meant what the Supreme Court of the US says it means, since no later than the Marbury v. Madison decision of 1803. SCOTUS has long affirmed the right of the American people to own land in common, and the authority of the federal government to manage those lands on our behalf. Speaking for myself, that's how it ought to be.
We're all entitled to our opinions, but no one is entitled to challenge the rule of law in America by force of arms. The Bundys believed otherwise, and were shown their error by law enforcement officers carrying out their sworn duty to protect the rights of every citizen. For Robert 'LaVoy' Finicum, stubborn insistence on his own interpretation of the Constitution was fatal. Tragic though it was, the responsibility for LaVoy's death was his alone. Other would-be sovereign citizens should take heed.
We're all entitled to our opinions, but no one is entitled to challenge the rule of law in America by force of arms. The Bundys believed otherwise, and were shown their error by law enforcement officers carrying out their sworn duty to protect the rights of every citizen. For Robert 'LaVoy' Finicum, stubborn insistence on his own interpretation of the Constitution was fatal. Tragic though it was, the responsibility for LaVoy's death was his alone. Other would-be sovereign citizens should take heed.
7
Dusty and Darre Wilson are so representative of Eastern Oregon. They know that living in an area where being stranded without the kindness of strangers can mean many hours(or even days) just getting back to civilization. In a place where 120 miles to another place is the average, with nothing in between, the people who live there know that taking care of strangers will be repaid in like.
That they would offer a spare bedroom to a reporter not really in need but was something they could do is what most people in the outback of Eastern Oregon, be they ranchers, Forest Service, BLM or just about anybody else I have ever met there, would do. Bundy's they are not.
That they would offer a spare bedroom to a reporter not really in need but was something they could do is what most people in the outback of Eastern Oregon, be they ranchers, Forest Service, BLM or just about anybody else I have ever met there, would do. Bundy's they are not.
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Some time ago, I was attending a public hearing about a proposed subdivision in my town where a developer sought several exemptions so that he could built a wall-to-wall carpet of little shacks supposedly for seniors in an area that did not allow for such development in order to protect the public water supply. I was looking at the 5 members of the planning committee and thought, "If it weren't for federal regulations, all the developer had to do is bribe 3 members in order to get what he wants." Ever since, I believe I know what people mean when they talk about "local control": "Let's make everything available to highest bidder, and let the general public be damned!" Let's not allow this to happen!
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No you can't use this victory for public land ownership over right wing terrorists to push a false conservation agenda that masks an exclusionary housing policy. Do you have a problem with affordable housing for seniors? "Local control" means "not in my backyard." You're advocating for yourself, not the public, which includes senior citizens.
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This is happening on Cape Cod as well where some town's zoning committees consider any land to suited for development and have no in place environmental regulations that define habitat. It is exacerbated by Selectmen who are themselves real estate brokers. There is a strong need for more refuges, in fact one is now proposed to protect "thickets" and shrublands critical for bird nesting and butterflies. Local zoning often targets these as "useless". There is a lot of education to be done. Check out this new proposed refuge which explains why such land is critical.
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/refuges/planning/lpp/greatthicketLPP.html
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/refuges/planning/lpp/greatthicketLPP.html
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Federal officials (e.g. politicians) are bribed as well.
What a beautiful, uplifting story. Thank you to those who love, support and protect Malheur and all our public lands!
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Hear, hear!
America needs our Wilderness!
We need to protect it from those who would rob our future generations of it.
We need to protect it from those who would rob our future generations of it.
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Have all the terrorists who violently and illegally seized our public lands been locked up?
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Of course.
I understand that there are still one or two, and that the feds now expect yet another stand off (this time in Montana, I think) before they're held responsible for their fool choices.
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Many thanks to the good folks of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their patience and concern during the occupation. If most of your worklife consists of making sure the irrigation systems are flowing properly and checking the cycles of birds feeding or breeding to be displaced by an armed band trying to seize control of the public's property has to be disturbing. While opinions differ as to whether the intruders should have been displaced by force, as probably would have been the case had they occupied private property, we all need to recognize the Fish and Wildlife staff faced not only weeks of uncertainty about what would happen ultimately but also their distress at damage done to years of careful system management, recordkeeping, and working relationships. Anyone whose work obligations include regulatory oversight of the behavior of others, whether dealing with parking behavior or preventijng money laundering, is aware cordiality sometimes masks strong differences of view. At Malheur staff learned that some neighbors with whom productive work relationships had been established were willing to abandon the refuge for personal gain. That's an unpleasant reality made more awkward by the fact they encounter those neighbors in a variety of settings. The birds and the birders may return but the trust and sense of community forged over the years is more fragile. The real damage is not the overflowing sewers but the destruction of productive engagement by pawns of thieves.
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You should research what happened to Hammonds.
d w: "You should research what happened to Hammonds."
I did. Dwight and Steve Hammond, father and son, are crooked welfare ranchers who flagrantly abused their privileges to exploit lands owned by the American people. They felt entitled to use public property for private gain, and ignore restrictions intended to protect biodiversity. They wrongly believed they could flout the law with impunity. They belong behind bars.
I did. Dwight and Steve Hammond, father and son, are crooked welfare ranchers who flagrantly abused their privileges to exploit lands owned by the American people. They felt entitled to use public property for private gain, and ignore restrictions intended to protect biodiversity. They wrongly believed they could flout the law with impunity. They belong behind bars.
6
In my opinion this article is a great testament to the American Public’s right to own land.
Let no one take the right of public property ownership away from us.
Michael Bain
Life-long stockman
Glorieta, New Mexico
Let no one take the right of public property ownership away from us.
Michael Bain
Life-long stockman
Glorieta, New Mexico
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The American Public does not own this land, the fed gov does. The protesters wanted the State/County to "own" this land. This is not public ownership under your definition?
d w: "The American Public does not own this land, the fed gov does."
I am the American Public. I live in Burns, Seattle, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Baltimore. The federal public lands belong to me. I say they should be used to protect native plants and animals. I say they may not be appropriated by State/County/Private interests, who want to extract more commodities from them for financial gain. I am the 'fed gov', the federal government is me.
I am the American Public. I live in Burns, Seattle, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Baltimore. The federal public lands belong to me. I say they should be used to protect native plants and animals. I say they may not be appropriated by State/County/Private interests, who want to extract more commodities from them for financial gain. I am the 'fed gov', the federal government is me.
7
Nope, I totally disagree. I pay taxes, the federal government holds title, and I am a citizen, so I am part-owner with the public that owns the land, which is managed by the federal government.
I'm not giving my call on the title and use of the land up, not to you or any welfare group be they ranchers, predatory developers, or mindless constitutional rabble rousers.
Mr., there are millions and millions out there just like me, better think about that one.
I'm not giving my call on the title and use of the land up, not to you or any welfare group be they ranchers, predatory developers, or mindless constitutional rabble rousers.
Mr., there are millions and millions out there just like me, better think about that one.
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Very nice! Long live birding...Thank you
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Let us hope that the birds will live on in our majestic wild places.
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