Oregon: The occupiers are emboldened. And that's a big problem. [View all]

[cali]

Ammon Bundy on Tuesday cautioned federal employees not to interfere with local ranchers and miners who defy government regulations as he stepped toward increased militancy on Day 18 of his occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

The armed protesters are clearing the way for Harney County residents to again ranch, mine and log on land now controlled by federal managers, Bundy said.

The occupation leader addressed "range cons" – federal range conservationists who work with ranchers on grazing schedules and rotations to minimize the ecological impact of cattle. He also cited their employer, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the bird sanctuary.

Federal agents shouldn't try to intimidate those who assert their rights, Bundy said in a news conference at the entrance to the refuge headquarters, 30 miles southeast of Burns.

"We give warning they are not to do that," Bundy said.

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http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-standoff/2016/01/post.html