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reACTIONary

(5,793 posts)
Sun Jan 3, 2016, 12:00 PM Jan 2016

What exactly are the Oregon Arsonists guilty of? [View all]

According to the typical news article they claim to have lit the fires to reduce the growth of invasive plants and protect their property from wildfires.

Acording to the Justice Department:


The jury convicted both of the Hammonds of using fire to destroy federal property for a 2001 arson known as the Hardie-Hammond Fire, located in the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area. Witnesses at trial, including a relative of the Hammonds, testified the arson occurred shortly after Steven Hammond and his hunting party illegally slaughtered several deer on BLM property. Jurors were told that Steven Hammond handed out “Strike Anywhere” matches with instructions that they be lit and dropped on the ground because they were going to “light up the whole country on fire.” One witness testified that he barely escaped the eight to ten foot high flames caused by the arson. The fire consumed 139 acres of public land and destroyed all evidence of the game violations. After committing the arson, Steven Hammond called the BLM office in Burns, Oregon and claimed the fire was started on Hammond property to burn off invasive species and had inadvertently burned onto public lands. Dwight and Steven Hammond told one of their relatives to keep his mouth shut and that nobody needed to know about the fire.

http://www.justice.gov/usao-or/pr/eastern-oregon-ranchers-convicted-arson-resentenced-five-years-prison
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Apparently, the jury did not buy their defense jberryhill Jan 2016 #1
Unfortunately, news accounts are not .... reACTIONary Jan 2016 #3
Oregon has air quality laws and a low tolerance 4 idiots who abuse land roguevalley Jan 2016 #42
Thank you for posting this. tazkcmo Jan 2016 #2
This is the background ... sunnystarr Jan 2016 #8
$600,000 of taxpayer's money handmade34 Jan 2016 #4
I've read they did it to cover illegal poaching on federal grounds cali Jan 2016 #5
They intentionally set fire to federal property. cleanhippie Jan 2016 #6
K&R eom MohRokTah Jan 2016 #7
It is the same thing I would be guilty of if I was burning my grass and it LiberalArkie Jan 2016 #9
Actually, they set the fires intentionally to cover up poaching on public land. OregonBlue Jan 2016 #11
It doesn't make that much different the act that they did to cover it up was arson on LiberalArkie Jan 2016 #12
Here's some history on the Hammonds... 2naSalit Jan 2016 #10
Uhhmm, did you read your own title? How about- arson? LooseWilly Jan 2016 #13
The point of my post us that.... reACTIONary Jan 2016 #22
Read more, get back to us. nt Logical Jan 2016 #14
The federal government has been entering "stewardship contracts" to restore PufPuf23 Jan 2016 #15
interesting hfojvt Jan 2016 #17
The "whiny babies" are obviously making excuses. PufPuf23 Jan 2016 #20
middle of nowhere? hfojvt Jan 2016 #25
I actually live where there are less people and services local PufPuf23 Jan 2016 #27
I was way off on the size hfojvt Jan 2016 #29
You are correct now. South Dakota is sparsely populated and so is eastern Oregon (and Montana). PufPuf23 Jan 2016 #31
A major claim of the militia is they believe they have a constitutional right to the land. PufPuf23 Jan 2016 #30
Thanks for the background information eom reACTIONary Jan 2016 #23
if you can start a 139 acre fire hfojvt Jan 2016 #16
You haven't spent much time in the west, have you? XemaSab Jan 2016 #18
Driving across the Colorado Rockies a few years back EL34x4 Jan 2016 #19
to some people hfojvt Jan 2016 #26
Nice try. Ohio is mid EAST. It is 2/3 of the way from the center of the country Ms. Toad Jan 2016 #43
I think it is insane too hfojvt Jan 2016 #44
Arson. (n/t) Iggo Jan 2016 #21
K and R. nt Quixote1818 Jan 2016 #24
Origionally,, poaching on the reserve larkrake Jan 2016 #28
Were they ever convicted of poaching? NobodyHere Jan 2016 #37
Does anybody besides me NobodyHere Jan 2016 #32
It doesn't sound right to me either. rtw Jan 2016 #33
Were they even convicted of poaching? NobodyHere Jan 2016 #34
Don't think so rtw Jan 2016 #36
the judge that gave the first reduced sentence was a wingnut who had no RIGHT to do so. JanMichael Jan 2016 #35
I'm not sure I'd equate rtw Jan 2016 #38
nit picking point. they are going and not playing cowfucking gunhumpers with the out of towners. nt JanMichael Jan 2016 #40
Well, the Bundy brothers are not out of towners rtw Jan 2016 #41
Nope. truebluegreen Jan 2016 #39
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