By Roni Bell
The purpose of this write
is to give a quick look at people who have been attacked by Government, the
guessed costs accrued by these victims and some solutions - that if
aggressively implemented - would end the attacks.
R-CALF represents Cow-Calf
Producers. Many Cow-Calf Producers have
Property Rights on Federal Lands. They’re known as Range *Allotment Owners
(RAO) with *privilege to own property on Federal Lands.
Because they are “price
receivers,” a Cow-Calf Producer’s livelihood relies on “price setters.” Though
their profit margins are thin, their love of “bringing a good animal to market”
is thick.
Challenges include Mother
Nature and Federal Government (Feds). America’s RAO’s have been adjusting to
Mother Nature since about 1525. They’ve
never been able to adjust to Government.
Department of Interior (DOI) oversees Bureau of
Land Management (BLM). United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees
Forest Service et al. They partner with environmental and foreign parties
(Partnership) to march forward using illegal tactics to decapitalize whosoever’s
Land and Water they want.
The Decapitalization Formula
Fed Partnership (FP) stakes
a claim, “Seen a gummer snail on your property. Stop grazing there so we can take
a ‘look see.’” The “look see” denies use of property and begins the ‘decapitalization.’ RAO is forced into hiring an attorney.
Before the RAO knows it,
they’re racking up thousands of dollars in downtime, hiring help to finish
calving, haying, travel costs and attorney fees etc. Meanwhile, FP’s getting
paid for denying RAO use of their property.
RAO realizes revenue
losses as bills pile up. When RAO is physically, mentally and financially
exhausted, FP waltzes in and seizes control of property.
Most attorneys aren’t taught
statutes that protect Property owned on Federal Lands.
Nine “explicit acts of Congress” include the key words “pre-existing, valid,
vested, prior” grazing rights established before the 1934 Taylor Grazing
Act.
Regardless the glut of new rules and regulations, if your grazing documents
pre-date 1934 and include any of those words, your Property Rights on Federal
Land have never been extinguished.
Some ways Feds decapitalize Cow-Calf
Producers
Federal keeps pushing
Cow-Calf Producers to shoulder the cost of Animal I.D., aka Geographical
Indicators, to help entities who enjoy profits exporting safe, succulent born
and raised in the U.S.A. beef.
Agencies, like the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), threaten and file unlawful complaints on feedlots,
grazers etc.
The Endangered Species Act
plant wolves that “stress or kill and eat livestock.” Hard cost reimbursement
is so shoddy, many who lose their lambs, calves whatever, don’t bother to
report. Fed’s fail to include stress related restitution for man or beast.
1) If you find a wolve on your property and
have “good faith” belief it might bring harm (harm includes such as the Mytidad
worm), the ESA includes language that
gives you the right to exterminate it.
2) Contraire to popular
belief, it’s best to demand wolves (Polar bears and so forth.) be listed “Endangered.” Why? Because the Fifth Amendment demands “Just
Compensation” be paid. As it stands, Feds and partners deny you your earnings
while their earnings flourish.
AUM cuts: Feds demand AUM cuts, even though they do not have the authority; nor
do they have the authority to dictate turn out or in times.
AUMs are included in a ranch evaluations. Example: AUM cuts on an open
allotment cost Chuck Sylvester a conservative amount of near $800,000. Imagine
what it cost all the open allotment owners collectively.
Here are a few examples of criminal overreach by government:
My interest in Property Rights on Federal Land
began in 1996 when President Bill Clinton dramatically exceeded the Antiquities
Act - “smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects
to be protected” - by declaring near 1.8 million acres (when 500 acres was likely
sufficient) The Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument.
Initially, Clinton promised “no interruption in
grazing.” He lied. In 2000 he, via BLM, ordered RAOs off their allotments.
Quinn Griffin, of
Escalante, UT,
described it as a “trial of fire with the BLM/Monument” people.
Though I’ve known the Griffin family since 1988, and witnessed the BLM orders,
“Get your cows off the Kaiparowits NOW,” I recently asked Quinn for a summation
for this article.
Griffin explained, “I do
believe the financial chaos caused by uneducated government employees is
grandiose, to say the least, especially when all hardships could have been
avoided if they had only listened to my thirty years of experience.” The most
critical experience was the fact that the cattle had 50 + years of knowing when
to go up and come down off the Fifty. Trying to bring them down at the BLM’s premature
time caused the cattle to keep scattering on that treacherous 1600 foot vertical
trail.
The 74 year old Griffin said that in dealing with the BLM 25 years ago they
accrued an approximate hard outlay of $84,000 that bankrupt him.
In addition to losing its
grazing revenue, the town of Escalante incurred another economic hit because
its Andalux Mine produced coal similar to Clinton’s Indonesian campaign
contributors coal. The Andalux was shut down before it went into production.
_____________________________________
Wayne Hage -Clark County, NV 1978 to
present:
Conversations with Ramona Morrison,
daughter of Wayne Hage included how the Hage case has gone on for 47 years at a
cost to date of over $10 million.
She explained how two generations and 3 separate appeals all won. Plus, they
received recognition from BLM for excellent ranches.
“State water adjudication proved we
had vested water rights on land managed by Forest Service. Yet Forest Service filed criminal charges
against us for alleged destruction of property & Federal trespassing for
clearing pinion, juniper etc. out of ditch right away we owned.”
The Hage Case has filled books. Read them. What the Feds did to the Hage family
transcends cruel.
____________________________________________
Donna Hildreth – Dillon, MT. After reading the suffocatingly micromanaged
overreach of her BLM permit, I highlighted out about 95% and reminded her of
Dr. Angus McIntosh’s advisement, “Don’t sign it.”
BLM doesn’t have authority to
“co-manage” your private business.
My recommendation? “Make your response
short and to the point.”
On July 25, 2025, Hildreth wrote
to her BLM,
I will be back in touch
with you after meeting with Secretary Doug Burgum. The language in the BLM
permits exceeds Federal's Enumerated powers. Not only for this Range Allotment
Owner, but for all RAO's on Federal lands, this demands correction.
_________________________________________________
Maude family, Pennington County,
S. Dakota
In a 7/28/25 conversation I asked
Charles Maude if he could provide a guesstimate as to hard costs thus
far dealing with Feds alleged “trespass” charges filed against Charles and his
wife Heather, each in the amount of $250 thousand.
Here are some numbers he shared: “Raised
$130 – 140 thousand to fight but need $300 to 400 thousand more.
Need Machinery but bank says no
to loan due to this unjust fight.
$10,000 travel to D.C.
Three crop loss approx. $175,000
$60,000 in Atty fees.
Wife Heather, who juggles
homeschooling with it all, spent approximately 4 out of 7 days a week from May
to September working on case. That’s about 80 days X’s a conservative $200 per
day equals $16,000.
This brings a guesstimate of over
$400 thousand spent thus far.
With input from USDA Secretary
Brooke Rollins, President Donald J. Trump had the charges dropped. It’s
unsettling that this case still lingers.
_____________________________________
Dwight and Stephen Hammond, Harney County, Oregon Conversation
with 86 year old Dwight Hammond, 7/29/2025
It all began with the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1963.
As Dwight said, “Water got me sideways with government in 1963.” It peaked in 2012 when government charged
them with burning their own forage on their own allotment. Both dad Dwight and
son Stephen served time in prison. July of 2018, President Trump pardoned them.
It’s too complex to get into here, so in short I’ll share Dwight’s comments
about the “wrongs we’ve endured” due to Federal’s “abuse of power.” “Susie
(Dwight’s wife) is all used up and is in assisted living.”
They were “fined $400,000, insurance took care of $200,000.” Dwight figures all
of the costs so far “would be so great – over a million.”
Conversation
with 79-year-old Cliven 7/30/2025, was rich with his advisements and questions:
Cliven began with “I fired the BLM in 1992.”
“It’s ranchers fault if they sign the permit. That’s a contract! Once you sign
a contract, it’s over for you!” Dr. Angus McIntosh would agree.
“It’s been 11 years since the standoff…with no conclusion. Why? Because a
conclusion would prove (that we have) rights.”
“How can Federal purchase land from a state, if Federal claims it already owns
it?” How can Federal claim to give state owned land back to state?
“Feds have been trying to entrap me for decades.
To sum up, Cliven shared that “Government spent $300 million of YOUR money,
just for attorneys, judges, military, brand inspectors, porta potties; $3,000
to count my cows and $6 million to gather 386 head.”
“I’m running the only cattle left in Clark County, Nevada. I asked, “Do
you think the Feds goal is to seize control of our land and water?”
He answered, “Remember. The paychecks, benefits etc. stimulate the Bureaucrats
cause.”
Cliven’s right! Feds get revenue making
sure Property Owners lose revenue.
What struck me the most in listening to each, was their shared love of
Country, Constitution, family and God, topped with a sweet sense of humor.
Each apologized when broaching the mental and physical stress
Federal’s overreach brought them. One will never be able to estimate the
physical and mental tole Federal’s illegal overreach cost.
Here’s the Ask!
1)
President Donald J. Trump declare Moratorium
on DOI and USDA actions on Federal Lands. We believe that when Trump learns of
the facts and truth about these “Takings without Just Compensation, he’ll be
very agreeable to a Moratorium.
2) DOI Secretary Doug Burgum
& USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins deploy a comprehensive Regulatory
Review of statutes and policies which define Federal Lands use with a focus on
Range Allotment Owners.
3) Property Owners who’ve been harmed by Federal actions “outside of statutes
and Federal’s Enumerated Powers” to come forth with estimates as to how much
Federal cost them. Though Federal will never be able to reimburse them for the
undue stress, at the least Federal should be ordered to pay “Just Compensation,”
for denied use of property, and reimbursement for hard costs.
4) Hereon, Congress should draft and pass an
Equal Standing Law, wherein Private Parties can hold Federal Employees accountable
for their wrongful actions! Example: They should be stripped of D.A.,
A.G. and DOJ protections and personally pay for counsel.
5) County Commissioners should be
educated about their authority to
refuse any Federal request that’s outside of Federal’s Enumerated Powers and
pass the Tenth Amendment Sanctuary County resolution. If every County in America did so, that would
dramatically rein in Federal.
*Allotment
– A grant of land
*Privilege – An exclusive right
