So I've been doing some late night reading about this, particularly interested why the State of Nevada and the Nevada Cattlemans Assoc. (i.e. massive group of ranchers) seem to be taking such a 'back seat' approach to this mess, obviously discouraging the 'intimidating' tactics but not the underlying reasoning. Why are they distancing themselves from him when I would expect them to be the first ones getting sicked by dogs? So how did it get here?
As best I can tell it was a lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity (
well know ultra-litigious group that has deep pockets and sees no compromise) that forced the hand originally. Basically they sued the BLM for not protecting the newcomer Desert Tortoise on the lands they manage.
CBD wins in court and the federal courts instruct the BLM to comply and protect the habitat according to the Congress passed
NEPA and
FLPMA (did Utah congressional rep's vote yea on this? I sure hope not.) The BLM starts by reducing the allowed herd sizes in these public land allotment which obviously angers ranchers and understandably so.
They (BLM) in the view of the courts (has been through the system several times now) have the right and more so responsibility based the Taylor Grazing Act, remember the Taylor Grazing Act was sought by ranchers themselves to promote the future of healthy ranching, started by a Utahn too
So, while most ranchers in the area begrudgingly complied with the new permit restrictions knowing the TGA didn't leave them much choice, Mr. Bundy did not and no longer paid his permit fee for his leased land, thus forfeiting his permit. At the same time the BLM negotiated with the State of Nevada to sell some of these grazing allotments (thus reducing overall cattle numbers in the Tortoise area) and buy-out the ranchers allotments, to the tune of $5-7 million (not sure to who or how that was dispersed). However as Mr. Bundy had already let his permit lapse, he got zero of the buyout money from the State of Nevada.
For the next 20 years Mr. Bundy's cattle continue to graze on public land with no compensation paid. State and federal courts rule on behalf of the BLM/NPS but Mr Bundy doesn't feel the Taylor Grazing Act applies to him as his family settled the area before it was a State and before the
Taylor Grazing Act. Finally the courts order the BLM to remove the trespass cattle from NPS/BLM managed lands and we land here.
Everyone on the same page there?