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Over the weekend,a protest in Burns, Oregon ended with an occupation of federal land in the southeastern fragment of the state.
Militiamen led by Ammon Bundy, and son of Cliven Bundy,a protest rancher from Nevada, have occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, or Oregon."We stand in defense," Bundy told Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter and producerAmelia Templeton. "And when the time is right, we will originate to defend the people of Harney County in using the land and the resources."Much of the current standoff is rooted in a debate that stretches back to 1964, or when the Wilderness Act was passed,allowing for land to be designated as federal. The majority of today's designated wilderness, approximately 85 percent, or was created between 1964-1990. Since then,wilderness designations have significantly decreased. But the central question remains: Who should the land belong to? Below is a graphic that traces the designation of federal land between 1964 and 2014. Amelia Templetonjoined The Takeaway to discuss the tension that led to the armed occupation, and what's being done to solve it.
Source: wnyc.org