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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Auto Bits: Google and Ford rumored to team up on autonomous cars ... Tribe asks feds to stop armed group's free travel at Oregon refuge ... Robbery thwarted when employee fights back ... Auto Bits: Google and Ford rumored to team up on autonomous cars ... Tribe asks feds to stop armed group's free travel at Oregon refuge ... Robbery thwarted when employee fights back ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Speaking out for rural Oregon Comment By Greg Walden MailTribune.com By Greg Walden Posted Jan. 14, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Greg Walden Posted Jan. 14, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News In recent weeks, the people of Harney County have become no stranger to national headlines. A group of armed protesters overtook a federal facility in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. And Dwight and Steve Hammond, father and son ranchers who were convicted of arson for setting a backfire that burned 139 acres of federal land, reported to prison to serve the remainder of a mandatory five-year sentence. While these stories played out across major media outlets, it’s important to understand the decades of frustration, arrogance and betrayal driving this anger and what steps we can take to improve the situation. While I understand their passion, I cannot condone the actions of the armed protesters, led largely by people who are not from our state. They’ve made their point loud and clear, and many local residents have asked them to leave. They should do so. The day after the Hammonds went to prison, I went to the U.S. House floor intending to give a five minute speech on what was unfolding. But when decades of my own pent-up frustration with the federal government’s treatment of rural Oregonians came to the surface, I spoke before my colleagues for nearly half an hour. (You can watch my full speech at www.walden.house.gov/speech ). With more than half of Oregon’s 2nd District under federal management, or lack thereof, I have worked with local ranchers and the citizens of eastern Oregon to resolve disputes, to find solutions and to create a more cooperative spirit and partnership with the federal agencies. The Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act is a prime example of those cumulative efforts. Yet, little by little, the agencies decided to reinterpret, or ignore the law altogether. At the suggestion of local ranchers, the law created the first cow-free wilderness in the United States, but required the federal government to provide the fencing. Disregarding this, Bureau of Land Management bureaucrats told ranchers they had to build the fence. When I provided documentation of Congress’ intent, they doubled down. And finally, when I got Congress to pass a restatement of the original intent, they said they’d review it. I don’t get angry very often, but this arrogance really got to me. There are very good federal workers in our communities who follow the law, and work cooperatively to find solutions, but it only takes a few of the others to cause us to lose faith. A similar experience is taking place across the West through the travel management plans. A forest supervisor on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest ignoring the input and incredible efforts of the communities to update faulty maps is a classic case in point. The Forest Service withdrew the plan, but the damage was done. How can people be expected to have faith in a public process when they see outcomes like these? Meanwhile, it’s strongly rumored that the Obama Administration will declare more national monuments over objections from local communities, including one in Malheur County up to 2.5 million acres — bigger than Yellowstone National Park. Is it any wonder we feel our way of life is threatened by our own government? If the president wants to help reduce the tension, and try to restore a bit of trust, he would publicly back off this proposal. The Hammonds made a mistake and went to prison for five years for lighting a backfire that burned 139 acres of federal land. Yet all too often, I’ve met with ranchers who were burned out by backfires they said agencies never should have set. And while I have the greatest respect for the power of a fire, and the courage and talent of firefighters, they make mistakes, too. The Hammonds were tried and convicted under a law written after the Oklahoma City bombing. The presiding judge made clear that its penalties when applied to a fire on the high desert didn’t make sense. But a court found he lacked the authority to invoke a lesser sentence. We need to revisit the 1996 law that landed the Hammonds with a punishment disproportionate to the severity of the crime. I’m working with my colleagues to do just that. We need to have the president understand that more monuments may bring cheers from certain companies and communities, but in reality they leave behind more mistrust and mismanagement. And those not familiar with the high desert of the West need to understand what we face before they quickly condemn the frustration and anger that is so evident. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., represents the 2nd Congressional District. By Greg Walden MailTribune.com By Greg Walden Posted Jan. 14, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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