Ore. ranchers at center of protest expected to report to prison

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[h=4]Ore. ranchers at center of protest expected to report to prison[/h]A group of anti-government protesters continued to occupy a national wildlife refuge in Oregon on Monday. Sheriff David Ward said protesters came to Harney County, in southeastern Oregon, "claiming to be part

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The Hammond family, in whose name a militia occupied an Oregon wildlife refuge, did not ask the militia to intervene and has disavowed their actions.
Video provided by Newsy Newslook


Ryan Bundy talks on the phone at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Ore., Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016.(Photo: AP)


The two Oregon ranchers at the center of an anti-government protest that escalated into an armed takeover of a federal wildlife building are expected to peacefully report to prison Monday.
Dwight Hammond Jr., 73, and his son, Steven Hammond, 46, were convicted of arson for fires they started on federal property, and a judge has ordered them to return to prison for four years because the time they had already served did not meet minimum-sentencing laws.
After a rally Saturday to protest their sentences, armed militia members occupied the federal building.
Sheriff David Ward said protesters came to Harney County, in southeastern Oregon, "claiming to be part of militia groups supporting local ranchers." In reality, he said, "these men had alternative motives to attempt to overthrow the county and federal government in hopes to spark a movement across the United States."
The FBI, the lead law enforcement organization, said in a release that it's working toward a peaceful resolution to the situation with local authorities. The FBI would not release information on the law enforcement response, citing safety of the police and the occupants in the wildlife refuge.
The protest, called to support the Hammonds, escalated late Saturday into an armed takeover of the headquarters building of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, some 300 miles southeast of Portland. The protest and takeover are being led by Ammon Bundy, son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who was involved in a previous standoff with the government over grazing rights. Two of the younger Bundy's brothers also are involved.
USA TODAY
Oregon militia takeover: Like father like son




The brothers are calling on anti-government militia members from all over the country to join the building's seizure.
"We're planning on staying here for years, absolutely," Ammon Bundy, 40, told The Oregonian. "This is not a decision we've made at the last minute."
Talking to reporters on Sunday, he said of the park headquarters, "We intend to use it."
Rep. Cliff Bentz, of House District 60 which represents Burns, Ore. — the nearest town — said "There is certainly always a place for peaceful protest, and I think that this is what Harney County residents who participated in Saturday's parade believe they were doing as they marched."
"I also think that the sheriff and the county and the city are all doing all that they can to manage the Bundy's self-serving attention grabbing efforts in a way that prevents Harney County from becoming a rallying cry for every anti-government person in America."
The occupation came after an estimated 300 marchers — militia and local citizens — paraded through Burns to protest the prosecution of Dwight and Steven Hammond.
The pair said they lit the fires in 2001 and 2006 to reduce the growth of invasive plants and protect their property from wildfires. They were convicted of the arsons three years ago and served time — the father three months, the son one year.
But a judge ruled their terms were too short under federal law and ordered them back to prison for about four years each. Dwight Hammond has said he and his son plan to peacefully report to prison Monday as the judge ordered.
Through their lawyer, the Hammonds have distanced themselves from the Bundys, according to CBS News. "Neither Ammon Bundy nor anyone within his group/organization speak for the Hammond Family," lawyer W. Alan Schroeder wrote to Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward, according to the network.
Contributing: Gordon Friedman, (Salem, Ore.) Statesman Journal; William Cummings
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