PRESS RELEASE
(Bunkerville, NV) Cliven D. Bundy, long-time southern Nevada rancher interviews with Las Vegas City Life Magazine, Dec. 2, 2010, with Amy Kingsley. This interview sparked an interest in Bundy's ranch, grazing the renewable resources, livestock fed on Clark County Public Lands. He operates a viable ranching business converting brush and grass from rangeland to an edible commodity for man, (red meat – Steaks!)
Shortly thereafter, Environmental groups threatened to sue BLM for not doing their job of removing Bundy from so called Federal land. They claim he was trespassing, and claimed BLM was not doing their job, order of US District Court and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, ordering Bundy to remove his cows. (Case was closed 9/10/1999.)
The movement to make Gold Butte a National Conservation Area put more pressure on BLM to get cattle and all range improvements off the land.
Through the year 2011 and into April 2012, BLM sent Bundy livestock trespass notices, range improvement trespass notices to remove all livestock and all range improvements, notices of impoundment and counting of cattle, (March 2011, August 2011, February 2012, March 2012), using up to 27 personnel on the field, many so called law inforcers with helicopters, airplanes, and all in fully equipped armor vehicles and communications. A bureaucratic armed force with it's snipers. The bureaucrats were flexing their muscles, causing friction. RANGE WAR IS SMOKING!
Fearless Bundy smells the smoke, inquiring of his secret informers, NO fear of an army without Constitutional authority, without policing power, or arresting power. Bureaucrats out of their scope of authority.
Bundy, knowing Feds always get someone to do their dirty work, discovers his neighbor's brother, Dave Cattoor, had the contract to gather and impound Bundy's cattle. Cattoor's being a family friend and had been assured that Cattoor Livestock Roundup, Inc. would never contract with BLM to gather his cattle. Bundy delivers a friendly letter, asking the Cattoor family to reconsider their contract cowboy commitment with BLM and giving them a deadline of April 9, 2012, 4:00 pm.
Clark County Sheriff Gillespie, family, friends, and media are asking Bundy what are you going to do? You've got to do something. You have got to hire a lawyer, file an injunction or something to stop the impoundment action. Bundy calmly says, “I do not have a takings. They have not taken one cow from me or one dollar, but I will do what ever it takes to protect my family's lives, liberty and property.”
After April 9, 2012, 4:00 pm, Bundy fires his first shot. It rang loud and clear. A Constructive Notice and Lien to the Cattoor family and company. Putting on notice:
DAVE CATTOOR, individually
SUE CATTOOR, individually
TROY CATTOOR, individually
SANDY CATTOOR, individually
CATTOOR LIVESTOCK ROUNDUP, INC. Nevada and/or Utah
ALL PARTIES RELATED THERETO; including but not limited to - hired laborers, sub-contractors, partner interests, financial institutes, mortgage holders, legal assistants, all others aiding and abetting with each or all listed above.
Bundy fired another powerful and loud long shot towards the northwest. It ricochets off the Nevada State Capital and back over Clark County. The shot was a Constructive Notice to:
Clark County Sheriff Douglas C. Gillespie
District Attorney Clark County, Nevada
Commissioners Clark County, Nevada
Governor of Nevada
Attorney General of Nevada
Director - Nevada Department of Agriculture
Director - Nevada Division of Brand Inspection
Nevada Board of Agriculture
Director - Nevada Department of Wildlife
Nevada Legislature
Nevada U.S. Representatives
Any person aiding and abetting to destroy my Life, Liberty or Property
Stating, you have been elected and are paid and have sworn an oath, even the US Constitution that you will protect my life, liberty, and property and you will be personally held accountable.
Bundy stands back, blows the smoke off the end of his long barrel, and cocks his head to hear the echoes.
Bundy did not shoot at federal bureaucrats, those without jurisdiction or constitutional authority. He shot a warning shot at those that have been elected and hired – those with jurisdiction and authority, with policing power and arresting authority, those who have taken an oath to protect We the People of Clark County Nevada. HE is putting his faith in the Almighty God. He states they have always did a good job for me in the past.
The date and time is set, tomorrow it will be. Helicopters, trucks, corrals, contract cowboys and the horses. Bureaucrat dogs jerking at the end of their chains, barking, growling, gnashing their teeth, they are ready to destroy Bundy, his cattle, all the range improvements that supply a drink to a dry desert. If they can get rid of Bundy Ranch, then it’s easy to get rid of the rest of us. He is the only one with a vested interest. BLM will rule with unlimited power, their rangers will assume policing power, they will lock up the Gold Butte 500,000 plus acres and give the people a Back Country Byway – a stay on the sidewalk and don't get off on the grass – they will ruin your country picnic by harassing and fining you in the US District Court. The land will be governed by territorial law, US unlimited power. Your rights and freedoms will be destroyed.
The Last Man Stands. He is the last full time rancher, of 52 ranchers, left in Clark County Nevada and where are all the cattle ranches across the Mohave Deseret to the Pacific Ocean? They are gone!
Does this man stand to protect We the People of Clark County Nevada, our rights and freedoms to access and to use and enjoy the natural resources, to camp, ATV, hunt, fish, to enjoy open space and fresh air, to travel thousands of miles of open roads, enjoy vast variety of scenery, share the excitement of wildlife, a squirrel, deer, donkey or a cow with a baby calf, and what about the desert flower, a Yucca blossom?!?!
These rights, Nevada sovereignty, are what Bundy Ranch stands for. He stands firm. He has not called his troops forward. No one knows what, (I will do whatever it takes.) means!
He can hear the chains rattle, the helicopter rev up, the horses whinny, and the contract cowboys’ spurs jingle! The telephone rings, it's Clark County Sheriff Gillespie. Cliven, I just received a call from the solicitor’s office in Washington DC, they have suspended the roundup indefinitely. Then he told Bundy to get to ranching! Bundy wants to say thank you very much!
Ranch chores needing attention, water troughs, salt/mineral licks, and cattle all need to be checked. It's getting hot and spring gathering has been delayed. Bundy has not received written confirmation from Sheriff Gillespie or BLM, confirming the roundup suspension, nor has he received cancellation of Letter of Trespass and Demand to Remove Improvements. The word indefinite seems to be a lie. Environmental groups threaten BLM and Clark County with a lawsuit. The media and many other groups and organizations are very interested in the Range War and Bundy's Last Stand. Zuma Press, LV Review Journal, Moapa Valley Progress, Mesquite Desert Valley Times, Federal Land Conference, and others sent camera crews and reporters, western state representatives, all seeking to know how Bundy whipped the BLM! Bundy would tell them, “Proper form of government. I ignored those without authority, and then supported those with authority, having faith. THEY WON THE BATTLE!”
Normal ranch work needed to be done. A roundup was organized to start on the east shore of Lake Mead across from Echo Bay. The Bundy Ranch helicopter paddles air, swooping up the slope toward the mountain moving cattle toward the lake's shore, Bundy needing to harvest his cattle and desiring to move cattle away from Lake Mead. Now cattle are moving. Surprising how fat the cattle are on the dry desert! Big bulls put up a great bull fight each time they herd a giant bull into the next bull's territory, (what a show), the dust flies as one bull tried to gore the other. They pay no attention to the helicopter. They have their work cut out. Most of the time they were left behind to finish the fight.
The helicopter was getting to hot to fly safe, cattle move slow, but cowboys and girls were now behind the cattle helping the helicopter. Cattle numbers were growing as the herd moves up the shore toward the Virgin River. Wild cows moving fast, maverick bull fighting, baby Brahma calves scrambling to stay up with their mother, Horses and dogs dooling with wild long horned bulls determined to go back down the shore line with rider, dog, and horse risking life as they fought against these vicious animals.
It's time to head the herd across Bitter Wash towards Bunkerville Mountain, heading for home ranch. Over 250 head going the right direction being led by one old fast, smart Brahma steer and two big wild cows. The herd is headed up Ice Cream Canyon, the old steer leading his herd toward the right split in the canyon, the two wild cows splitting the herd the wrong way, 30 miles further to the home ranch, plus they would be to hard to manage. Bundy directs the copter in front of the cow's herd hoping to force them to go with the steer's herd, as the cows stalled for a second, the steer left his trail and moves toward the cows, all the sudden all hell broke loose, the wild cows turned back through the herd, headed back to their home range. A real wild and dangerous stampeding was in the movement, the helicopter swapped ends of the herd, by now the lead cows were all the way through the herd, cowboys and dogs running full speed trying to turn the lead cows. Horsemen running, trying to turn the hundreds of cattle and save their own lives. Cattle were flipping upside down, knocking into horses, the copter pilot had the ship down in the faces of the stampeded cattle. There was no stopping the cattle's disappearance into the Tamarack bush along the Virgin River. Bundy says, “That's the way it goes, it was a good day, no one got hurt very bad and we did see cows!”
May 14, 2012 – Bundy was served US v. Bundy, a lawsuit against you, Summons in Civil Action. The chains were quiet for a few days, but they are rattling. RANGE WAR! Feds are suing for trespass on lands not on Bundy Ranch calling them New Trespass Land. Harassing this rancher bringing a several page lawsuit, 7 hour deposition, with six attorneys, 100 plus pages with exhibits, three reams of paper as a Motion for Summary Judgment.
Bundy's first instinct of action was to turn this lawsuit over to Nevada Attorney General; Nevada is a fence out state. Bundy is relying on Nevada Law (Nevada Public Lands Ownership Act of 1979 and Nevada Water Law) that is still the law of the land within the borders of the State of Nevada The new trespass land has a fence that needs repair. If this fence was repaired, it would prevent cattle movement from Bundy Ranch to new trespass land saving Bundy the liability and cost of retrieving cattle.
Bundy has the attention of Nevada State and Clark County officials. He is not pursuing Nevada State fence out law. RANGE WAR! The feds make another aggressive move. (New trespass land lawsuit, US v. Bundy). Has the Feds opened up a clear shot for Bundy? I doubt if Bundy is going to shoot high!
Bundy fires a Motion to Dismiss.
What's Bundy's next shot?
Where is he aiming? State sovereignty? Endangered species? Land ownership? Origin of the cattle?
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