BURNS - Law enforcement agencies are remaining mum about plans to end militiamen's occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters.
A splinter group of militia in town to support a local ranching family took over the federal office Saturday afternoon in a development that stunned the community and visiting militia.
Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward said in a statement late Saturday that "a collective effort from multiple agencies is currently working on a solution."
Here's a summary of key elements of this unfolding story:
The backdrop: Militiamen from several states came to Burns to protest the impending imprisonment of two Harney County ranchers. They participated in several community meetings and organized a rally and protest march that occurred without controversy on Saturday. The march lasted about an hour and involved about 300 people - a mix of militia and local residents. At the county sheriff's office, marchers threw pennies -- meant to symbolize citizens buying back their government.
The ranchers: The case of Dwight Hammond Jr. and his son Steven brought Ammon Bundy and his supporters to Burns.The two men scheduled to report to federal prison on Monday after they were convicted in 2012 of arson. They set public land on fire near their ranch south of Burns. The occupiers are demanding they not be imprisoned. The Hammonds have had several run-ins with the government, including a 1994 episode involving the refuge. The Hammonds got into a dispute over access to water for their cattle after refuge officials began fencing off part of the refuge. Dwight Hammond was arrested in connection with the episode but was never prosecuted.
What's next: Because the refuge is so remote and no government employees are at risk, law enforcement isn't likely to immediately confront the militia. But law enforcement will be under great pressure to act because of the Bundys' confrontation in Nevada. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management retreated from that confrontation and has yet to publicly act against the Bundys to collect $1 million in unpaid grazing fees. That retreat has emboldened militia members as they now face the prospect of another standoff.
-- Les Zaitz