New Web Site Uses Bundy to Expose Land Grab Politicians

By Ralph Maughan, The Wildlife News

02 June 14

he name of scofflaw rancher “Cliven Bundy” continues to inspire not only certain Republican politicians who are planning more sagebrush rebellion, but now their opponents, who we might call “sagebrush patriots.”

A new web site, Bundy’s Buddies, has been put up showing the name and photos of the most significant politicians in the Western states who are pushing for the states to be given the public lands of the United States. Bundy’s Buddies also has a link for each politician leading to a news story showing their involvement in the latest incarnation of “taking back” the lands for the states. For example, a photo of Republican U.S. House candidate Matt Rosendale on Montana leads to this story, “U.S. House candidate Rosendale: Transfer USFS, BLM lands to state.”

In fact the politicians on the new web site are not really Bundy’s pals or support his militant defiance of the courts and the BLM. Nevada Senator Dean Heller is an example. He publicly disavowed Bundy after the Bunkerville Nevada rancher decided to give his views on Black folks. Earlier, however, in a now famous joint TV program with Nevada’s other senator Harry Reid, Heller called Bundy “a patriot” while Reid called Bundy’s supporters “domestic terrorists.” So although they might not really support Bundy these politicians do support transferring some or all of the public lands to the states.

The list of politicians on the web site is not complete. For example, Elko County, Nevada, Commissioner Grant Gerber began a 70-mile horse ride on Memorial Day through part of Northern Nevada to protest livestock grazing reductions on public lands. Gerber was one of the original sagebrush rebels back in the late 1970s, a fact that almost all the news stories are ignoring. This might be due to lack of a web search or to reporters without a sense of history. Gerber has recently organized other rides by livestock operators to deliver petitions to Nevada’s Governor Brian Sandoval.

The very first “sagebrush rebellion” was not called that. It began in the mid-1940s when a group of powerful ranchers wanted the public lands given not to the states, but in fact given to the members of their organization after paying just a token fee. This movement gained considerable strength for several years but was almost single handedly shot down by nationally prominent journalist Bernard DeVoto who campaigned against it from his position in Harper’s Magazine, other national publications, and a national tour to alert people to the threat.