According to Drovers Journal, and other media outlets, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has restored grazing permits for the Hammond family from Oregon after losing the right to graze following federal charges that were later pardoned. Almost six months after receiving a Presidential Pardon, one of outgoing Interior Secretary’s final acts before leaving office was to restore and reinstate the BLM grazing permits of the Hammond family.
The announcement was made on Jan. 28 that Hammond Ranches would be able to graze their BLM allotments again. The BLM had stripped the right to graze after Dwight and Steven Hammond were convicted of felony arson in 2012. They were sentenced to five years imprisonment under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996.
The Hammond’s imprisonment later led to the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Oregon, in 2016. The occupation resulted in a 40 day standoff between law enforcement and protestors.
After more pushback and pleas from the ranching community for their release, Dwight and Steven Hammond were eventually pardoned by President Trump on July 10, 2018.
News of the Hammond’s grazing permits being reinstated was welcomed by cattle ranching organizations. In a joint statement, Public Lands Council (PLC) President Bob Skinner and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Kevin Kester said the following:
“In light of a full and unconditional presidential pardon, the reissuance of the Hammond Ranches’ grazing permits is the final step in righting the egregious injustices the Hammonds faced. This is the culmination of years of effort on behalf of this industry to restore a family’s livelihood. We speak on behalf of the livestock producers nationwide in saying thank you to Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and his team who worked to correct the hardships this family faced.”
Read more at Drovers Journal, Northern Ag News, or Protect the Harvest.
BLM : Another “Acronym” sucking $ from the populace.
It took an act by the President and the Secretary of Interior to right this obvious injustice. Just another sign, that there is no future in beating the bureaucracy. When the government says they want your land, you need to give them you price. You cant fight them. The frog is cooked.
This is awesome news, I am very happy for the Hammond’s and for ranching families however this does not change the fact that BLM overreached and thereby caused a situation that ultimately lead to death, imprisonment and complete devastation of more than one family. I want to know when the BLM is going to be abolished and the people responsible held accountable. I have no doubt that we could put together an organization that would be able to provide good solid policies that are fair, honest and balanced between ranchers and nature. The BLM has long been a political agency whose interest is only in their own pocketbooks.
Don’t forget the Bundys and all they went through standing with the Hammonds. Don’t forget LaVoy.
And don’t forget the need to move these Federals lands to States as stated by the Constitution.
john mayo: AMEN to State control of their land.
Perhaps the people will now be able to enjoy their own pursuit of happiness with less government interference.