It is an interesting story, and highlights the Feds mixed up priorities. Lots of things at issue here. He was grazing his cattle on Federal Public land and has refused to pay the grazing fees. BUT Nevada is a "free range" state, my understanding means that if you don't want cattle grazing on your land it is your responsibility to put up a fence to keep them out. The family has used the land since before statehood, and when the grazing fees were instituted he paid them, but then the Bureau of Land Management restricted the areas and changed the conditions to the point he quit paying. He claims that 30 some other ranchers have gone under and he is the last rancher in this area, and presses the point that the State of Nevada should have jurisdiction and would be willing to pay the state. In a state that over 80% is Federal land, I'm thinking that he might have a point. Short story is he went to court and lost. I disagree and believe he shouldn't have lost, more because it should have never been taken to court, but here we are.
I'm not sure this is the guy I'm willing to pick up arms to go defend, but it definitely highlights the screwed up priorities of the government. Militarized SWAT teams for cattle wrangling? What in the world does the Bureau of Land Management have access to that kind of hardware? How much money, man hours have they spent trying to round up cattle, compared to how much he questionably owes?
