Saturday, January 23, 2016

NM rancher renounces federal grazing contract at Bundy event

A rancher from New Mexico renounced his U.S. Forest Service grazing contract at an event held by an armed group occupying a national wildlife refuge in Oregon to protest federal land use policies.Adrian Sewell of Grant County, New Mexico, took the action at the event attended by about 120 people at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. A group led by Ammon Bundy began occupying the area in eastern Oregon’s high desert on Jan. 2.Bundy has said the federal government has no authority to enforce federal grazing contracts with ranchers.Sewell said he didn’t mind being the only rancher to renounce his federal contract at Saturday’s gathering.“I don’t mind standing out and standing alone,” he said.Bundy, who had previously met with local ranchers urging them to tear up their federal contracts, also said he wasn’t disappointed that Sewell was the only one to take him up on his idea.“I’m very happy he came all the way from New Mexico,” Bundy said...more

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