- Aug 4, 2011
- 81,129
- 14,024
- 2,190
"To those farmers and ranchers who work the land and regularly have to deal with BLM and USFS bureaucrats, this was not only an outrageous injustice, but also an exercise in hypocrisy so huge and contemptible as to be mindboggling. They know firsthand that these Fedgov agencies are a veritable Arsons-R-Us, annually burning up millions of acres of public lands and tens of thousands of acres of private property, as well as endangering lives (and sometimes taking them) and destroying homes.
"Among the many examples still fresh in the minds of the people of Harney County is the Frenchglen/Miller Homestead Fire, which burned more than 160,000 acres, and the Long Draw Fire (more than 558,000 acres). Both of these fires were started by lightning in July 2012. But, critics charge, the BLM carried out a number backfire operations that 1) spread the fire instead of stopping it; 2) caused massive losses to private property and public lands; 3) killed cattle and left many wandering around badly burned; 5) endangered the lives of firefighters and residents; 6) not only failed to notify ranchers and residents before initiating their arson/backfire operations, but repeatedly gave them false assurances that everything was under control, no danger; 7) repeatedly refused to deploy available firefighting assets (hand crews, water trucks, helicopters, planes) requested by ranchers and residents."
Oregon Standoff: BLM’s “Burn ‘Em Out” Legacy — The Untold Backstory
"Among the many examples still fresh in the minds of the people of Harney County is the Frenchglen/Miller Homestead Fire, which burned more than 160,000 acres, and the Long Draw Fire (more than 558,000 acres). Both of these fires were started by lightning in July 2012. But, critics charge, the BLM carried out a number backfire operations that 1) spread the fire instead of stopping it; 2) caused massive losses to private property and public lands; 3) killed cattle and left many wandering around badly burned; 5) endangered the lives of firefighters and residents; 6) not only failed to notify ranchers and residents before initiating their arson/backfire operations, but repeatedly gave them false assurances that everything was under control, no danger; 7) repeatedly refused to deploy available firefighting assets (hand crews, water trucks, helicopters, planes) requested by ranchers and residents."
Oregon Standoff: BLM’s “Burn ‘Em Out” Legacy — The Untold Backstory
