No deal appears in sight

The leader of a group of armed protesters meets with sheriffs and says there’s no plan to leave anytime soon

BURNS — Like something out of a Western novel, or maybe a scene from “Fargo,” they tried to meet privately, in a remote spot on the curve of desolate highway, in the dead of winter.

“It was good,” Ammon Bundy said afterward of his first meeting with the sheriff who, so far, has asked him nicely to leave the area, has even offered to escort the armed militia member and his followers to the county line.

“We talked about the community and getting the schools back open,” Bundy said late Thursday afternoon, of his brief meeting with Harney County Sheriff David Ward.

But no deal was made during the impromptu meeting on a side road off a curve of state Highway 78, some 10 miles on the other side of Malheur Lake from the headquarters of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Bundy said the talks lasted less than 10 minutes.

“I think there’s something much bigger here that needs to be resolved,” he said. “And until that happens, we’re staying.”

Ward did not offer any public comments late Thursday about his decision to meet with Bundy or the content of their discussion.

Ward tweeted that he plans to meet with Bundy again on Friday. But Bundy made no mention of a second meeting with Ward when he met with reporters Thursday.

Public schools were supposed to reopen Monday after the end of winter break but have remained closed as a safety precaution in light of the militia’s armed occupation of the refuge headquarters.

Meanwhile, Gov. Kate Brown jumped into the fray on Thursday, issuing a short but strongly worded statement about the now six-day-old occupation by Bundy and his buddies.

“To members of the Burns-Paiute Tribe and residents of Harney County who seek a return to normal life: I hear you, and I agree that what started as a peaceful and legal protest has become unlawful,” Brown said.

“It was instigated by outsiders whose tactics we Oregonians don’t agree with. Those individuals illegally occupying the Malheur Wildlife Refuge need to decamp immediately and be held accountable.”

The local tribe held a press conference on Wednesday at which its leaders also asked the militia to leave. They said the wildlife refuge is sacred to a tribe whose ancestors were its original inhabitants.

After meeting with Ward, Bundy returned to the refuge headquarters, where state and national media have been camped out all week.

Reporters rushed back after previously racing to the locale where Bundy and Ward were meeting, as announced by Ward on his Twitter account. Some media members were able to document at least part of Ward’s and Bundy’s meeting before it ended.

Back at the occupied site, Bundy walked up the snow-packed road that leads into the refuge’s headquarters and museum. He walked with other militia members until he came to a campfire surrounded by a collection of growing supporters.

Bundy was peppered with reporters’ questions about the meeting, which he said was Ward’s idea.

At a town hall meeting attended by 500 or more people at the county fairgrounds on Wednesday, several residents asked Ward why he had not confronted the militia members, who call themselves Citizens for Constitutional Freedom.

In response, Ward had said that the FBI, not his office, is the lead agency in charge of the investigation.

Bundy on Thursday said that he “reached out” to Ward several days ago, and that Ward “didn’t reach out until today.”

At 3:09 p.m. Thursday, Ward tweeted that he was meeting “with the folks from the refuge” and that it would take place “in the next few minutes.” Seven minutes later, he tweeted a map of the location, then tweeted “ground rules” that media were to not interfere and that no questions would be fielded.

Ward later tweeted that he asked Ammon Bundy “to please leave and respect the wishes of Harney County residents.”

The sheriff also tweeted that the sheriffs of Malheur and Tillamook counties, Brian Wolfe and Andy Long, stood with him during his meeting with Bundy.

On Wednesday, the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association, which represents all 36 of the state’s sheriffs, vowed its support for Ward and Harney County during the standoff.

Bundy on Thursday said he asked Ward about the militia group’s petition for a redress of grievances, and why it had not been answered. The group has said it wants the federal government to relinquish its claimed right to land in and around the refuge, and to allow ranchers, loggers and other local residents to administer those lands.

Ward “said he wasn’t willing to talk about that right now,” Bundy said. “If we had had our questions answered, we would not feel we’d have to take the avenue we’re taking right now.

“These lands that are being unconstitutionally held need to be returned to the people,” he said, reiterating his previous comments as smoke from the campfire engulfed many of his listeners, including what appeared to be a few homeless people who’ve joined the camp.

Once again, Bundy was asked when he and the others would be leaving.

Not until they see “great momentum” taking place in regard to their grievances, he said.

“That could be a week. That could be a year.”

With that, he moved away to walk back down to the refuge buildings as darkness began to fall.

Reporters hollered at him about Governor Brown’s statement and asked for a response.

“I haven’t read it,” Bundy said. “I don’t know anything about it.”