LARAMIE, Wyo. – In response to the “not guilty” verdict in the trial of the seven militants charged with federal conspiracy and weapons charges associated with the month-long takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Western Watersheds Project releases the following statement from Executive Director Erik Molvar:
“Today’s verdict is a disappointment, and the failure to hold extremist militants accountable for their armed takeover of public property amplifies the risk to federal, state, and local officials who are charged with the management of public property throughout the West.
Nonetheless, members of the Bundy family still face the more serious charges associated with the 2014 armed standoff in Bunkerville, Nevada over the removal of trespassing cattle that were degrading the health of the land and threatening the survival of rare native wildlife. The Bundys will not go free until they answer for these actions.
The sad result of this verdict is that it will now be necessary to increase the presence and patrols of law enforcement throughout our public lands in order to assure the safety of rangers, scientists, and land managers who are required travel to remote corners of the West in order to do their jobs.”