On Saturday evening, a group of militiamen took over the management building at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Burns, Oregon. They are calling themselves "Citizens for Constitutional Freedom," and argue they are standing up against government abuse of ranchers everywhere. The group is led by Ammon Bundy, whose father Cliven successfully defied the Bureau of Land Management in a 2014 grazing rights dispute.

Feds vs. Ranchers

Much of the United States west of the Mississippi river is outright owned by the federal government, and administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Until the 1970s, the land was often open to farmers and especially ranchers, who counted on grazing rights to maintain large herds of cattle. Laws adopted in 1976 led to the government closing off much of the land, prompting a backlash in the states dubbed the "Sagebrush rebellion." It fizzled after the election of President Ronald Reagan, however, as the new administration failed to revoke the laws but promised the BLM would be more sensitive to local concerns.

Since then, Washington has steadily cracked down on private use of public lands, with environmentalist groups pushing for designating much of the government-owned property as protected wilderness.