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Militants' choice of wildlife refuge provided isolation, ready compound
Throughout the year, tens of thousands of native and migratory birds seek out the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Oregon for a safe place to breed and rest.
On Saturday, 20 or so armed militants from several western states sought out the 187,757-acre federally owned reserve to breed unrest.
Saying they plan to remain peaceful, the men and women settled into the 107-year-old refuge's buildings, firefighter bunkhouse and its volunteer-operated museum. They may stay for months – years, if necessary – to reclaim the government land for private ranchers, they said.
That worries those who have spent decades caring for the land, tracking the wildlife there and raising money for various projects. They say they're concerned about how respectful the occupiers will be of the place where millions in public dollars and donations have gone to protect birds, animals, wetlands and salt flats.
"The refuge is very isolated and could hold a lot of people for a long time," said Alice Elshoff, vice chair and one of the founders of the nonprofit, Friends of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. "It's very scary."
Elshoff, 81, has been birding on the land since the 1960s and lived there for 12 years to help care for the refuge.
While winter months are slower at the refuge, numbers of employees, volunteers and visitors skyrocket in the summer. The refuge regularly attracts tourists from around the globe who spend an estimated $15 million annually, according to the refuge nonprofit. The park also was a highlight of the annual Cycle Oregon event that streamed thousands of riders and helpers through the area several years ago.
Birding is one of the county's main tourist attractions, bringing about 100 people through the chamber's door each month in April through October, said Chelsea Harrison, executive director of the Harney County Chamber of Commerce. The chamber's annual Migratory Bird Festival, which features several tours on the refuge, kicks off the tourist season. A year without it, she said, would be a hit to the local economy.
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2016/01/militants_choice_of_malheur_re.html
On Saturday, 20 or so armed militants from several western states sought out the 187,757-acre federally owned reserve to breed unrest.
Saying they plan to remain peaceful, the men and women settled into the 107-year-old refuge's buildings, firefighter bunkhouse and its volunteer-operated museum. They may stay for months – years, if necessary – to reclaim the government land for private ranchers, they said.
That worries those who have spent decades caring for the land, tracking the wildlife there and raising money for various projects. They say they're concerned about how respectful the occupiers will be of the place where millions in public dollars and donations have gone to protect birds, animals, wetlands and salt flats.
"The refuge is very isolated and could hold a lot of people for a long time," said Alice Elshoff, vice chair and one of the founders of the nonprofit, Friends of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. "It's very scary."
Elshoff, 81, has been birding on the land since the 1960s and lived there for 12 years to help care for the refuge.
While winter months are slower at the refuge, numbers of employees, volunteers and visitors skyrocket in the summer. The refuge regularly attracts tourists from around the globe who spend an estimated $15 million annually, according to the refuge nonprofit. The park also was a highlight of the annual Cycle Oregon event that streamed thousands of riders and helpers through the area several years ago.
Birding is one of the county's main tourist attractions, bringing about 100 people through the chamber's door each month in April through October, said Chelsea Harrison, executive director of the Harney County Chamber of Commerce. The chamber's annual Migratory Bird Festival, which features several tours on the refuge, kicks off the tourist season. A year without it, she said, would be a hit to the local economy.
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2016/01/militants_choice_of_malheur_re.html
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