Keeping the Conversation Moving Forward

Last week the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation in Burns, Oregon, ended. Oregon Cattlemen's Association Executive Director Jerome Rosa says

Rosa: "We are really glad that the situation has been resolved and it is over now and there wasn't any further loss of life that had to happen down there. Now the difficult work of helping to continue the Hammonds effort and keep that at the forefront. And try help the Hammond family get Dwight and Steven Hammond's sentence reduced or out of prison. So we are really continuing efforts on that."

If you haven't yet, signed the petition for clemency for the Hammonds, please go to savethehammonds.com and do so.

While the Oregon cattlemen's Association doesn't not condone illegal activity against the government, the Burns occupation has provided an opportunity for ranchers and government stakeholders to begin a conversation.

Rosa: "We don't want to lose sight of the conversation of government overreach. How difficult it is for our ranchers to stay in business and what we have to do to keep them on the ground and continue ranching and doing the good things that they do in the Burns area."

Rosa points out that the OOCA has a positive history working with government agencies on both a state and federal level. These trusted relationships are what will allow positive and productive change to occur.