Clive Bundy Ranch Standoff

[safeorigin]

Not really sure why the BLM had to kill 2 cattle. That's just overstepping their power :/

anyway, like what Judge Napolitano said, the case should have been dealt in the state court and rather than the federal court to be honest.

[niky]

Pretty much.

As for the State versus Federal... that would depend on who has jurisdiction over the land. It's becoming increasingly likely that the State should, by all rights, have more control over the land, since the moment a territory becomes a state, the state should have total control over its land... but until such point that this is clarified, the Feds still have the right to administer it.

[safeorigin]

After some digging, I found the source of the Solar panel connection:

Cattle Trespass Impacts

Cliven Bundy has no legal authority to graze cattle on federal lands in the Gold Butte area, including Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The U.S. District Court of Nevada has permanently enjoined Cliven Bundy's trespass grazing, ordered him to remove his trespass cattle from public lands inside and outside the former Bunkerville Allotment (including from the Lake Mead NRA) before December 2013, and stated the U.S. is entitled to seize and impound any cattle that have not been removed by the judicially imposed off-date and that remain in trespass. A large number of the trespass cattle on the federal lands are feral cattle that can pose a threat to members of the public recreating or traveling over the federal lands. The trespass cattle have also caused damage to private property, as well as to the federal lands and natural resources.

Examples of Recent Incidents of Private Property Damage Caused by Bundy's Trespass Cattle

One feral cow was hit by an automobile within Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Cattle are frequently seen on public roads, including State Route 170 and pose a danger to vehicles and to members of the public traveling on public roads.
Overton Wildlife Refuge (State of Nevada) employee attacked by a Bundy bull.
Crop destroyed by Bundy cattle on private land.
Mesquite Heritage Community Garden damaged by trespass cattle.
Mesquite golf course damaged by trespass cattle.

Examples of Restoration Funding and Viability Impacted

A $400,000 matching grant to restore Southwest Willow Flycatcher habitat along the Virgin River from the Walton Family Foundation was withdrawn until the trespass cattle have been removed.
A $160,000 Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act project to restore Southwestern Willow Flycatcher has been delayed until trespass cattle are removed.
Non-Governmental Organizations have expressed concern that the regional mitigation strategy for the Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone utilizes Gold Butte as the location for offsite mitigation for impacts from solar development, and that those restoration activities are not durable with the presence of trespass cattle.
The Nevada State Department of Wildlife has built extensive fences to protect state and federal lands protected as the Overton Wildlife Refuge from the trespass cattle.

Examples of Public Concerns

Residents of the communities of Bunkerville and Mesquite have complained about the impact of cattle on city facilities.
Within the last month, letters requesting action have also been received from several individuals, Friends of Nevada Wilderness, Friends of Gold Butte and Friends of Joshua Tree Forest.
The Center for Biological Diversity has demanded action to resolve trespass in designated critical desert tortoise habitat in several letters.
Western Watersheds has requested a verbal status update and later filed a Freedom of Information Act request.

Examples of Natural and Cultural Resource Damage

Cattle have crushed artifacts at the "Red Racer" and St. Thomas cultural sites.
Damage to springs, including fecal contamination, trampling soils and vegetation and impacts to wildlife. Wildlife will avoid springs with large numbers of cattle.
Damage to springs with sensitive amphibians, including the rare relict leopard frog.
Multiple instances of vegetation damage to rare plants, including on monitoring plots after extensive wildfires within critical habitat for Desert Tortoise.
Unauthorized reservoir constructed with bulldozer twice.

http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo/...s_impacts.html

But of course, the page has been pulled off.

Alternatively, there's still this one: http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medial...dat/TN_444.pdf Turn to Page 36.

The resource values found in the Gold Butte ACEC are threatened by: unauthorized activities, including off-road vehicle use, illegal dumping, and trespass livestock grazing; wildfire; and weed infestation. Existing burned areas, unauthorized roads and trails, and areas disturbed by other activities await funding for rehabilitation. Neutralizing these threats and restoring altered ecological systems are the focus of the regional mitigation proposed for this area.
Two action-specific mitigation goals and nine mitigation objectives are recommended to be undertaken to compensate for the unavoidable impacts associated with the development of the Dry Lake SEZ (see Table 2-5).

If you turn to page 37, you will see an overlayed map of the area. And Bunkerville happens to be sitting inside Gold Butte ACEC.