Posted on 08/17/2004 8:14:17 PM PDT by PropertyRightsResearch.org
Sheriff Warns Hage of Possible Cattle Confiscation and Arrest
August 17, 2004
Nevada Live Stock Association
For Immediate Release
Contact: Ramona Morrison 775.424.0570 rhmorrison@sbcglobal.net
Nye County, Nevada - According to Nye County Sheriff, Tony DeMeo, the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in the midst of finalizing post-trial briefs in a thirteen-year old lawsuit with Nye County rancher, Wayne Hage, and in a move of apparent direct defiance of the several recent court decisions, are preparing to confiscate Hage’s cattle on his ranch in Nye County, Nevada. Hage was notified Friday, August 13, 2004, by Sheriff DeMeo, that Bob Abbey, Nevada BLM Director, had told him that, despite ongoing litigation, the BLM could move forward with the confiscation unless they receive a cease and desist order from the Court.
Alf Brandt, Interior Department Solicitor, and one of the Government’s attorneys in the May Hage v. U.S. compensation trial in Reno, Nevada stated in a July 30, 2004, letter to Sheriff DeMeo that the, “BLM actions may result in Mr. Hage’s appearance in federal court, which may provide him the opportunity to again present his legal theories and allow the federal court to adjudicate these issues.” Brandt’s letter also contained thinly veiled threats to arrest Hage.
Thursday, the U.S. Forest Service hand-delivered a three-day notice to Hage to remove livestock from the lands the U. S. Court of Federal Claims determined in its 2002 Final Decision and Finding of Fact to be “fee lands” to which Hage holds title. (“Fee” means the inheritable right to use.)
Sheriff DeMeo commented on the governments actions, “It is inexplicable to me why, after thirteen years of litigation, the BLM and Forest Service seem so anxious to go after Hage now. But there definitely seems to be an intensity building in this county and I expect them to try something. I have instructed my deputies to protect Constitutional rights of the citizens of Nye County, even if the perpetrator is the federal government,” he added.
Concerned about a Ruby Ridge-style government “arrest”, today, Hage forwarded a letter to Sheriff DeMeo stating that he believes the government’s efforts to create a “confrontation” with him is a move of desperation on the part of the agencies as a result evidence that surfaced at his trial in Reno in May.
The U.S. Forest Service, BLM, and southern Nevada water interests were implicated in a “conspiracy”, according to court transcripts, to bankrupt the Hages in order to obtain the abundant Pine Creek Ranch water for the benefit of Southern Nevada interests.
In his letter, Hage stated that, “....I believe Alf W. Brandt, as solicitor for the BLM Department of Interior, would like to find a way to eliminate me at the hands of some (federal) ‘Law Enforcement’ personnel.”
In the thirteen-year Fifth Amendment of the Constitution “takings” lawsuit in the U. S. Court of Federal Claims between the Hage family and the federal government, Hage has prevailed in all court rulings to date.
In 1991, the federal government, in an attempt to derail Hage’s civil “takings” case, attempted to prosecute him for destruction of government property. The case was reversed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Nevada Live Stock Association Director, Ramona Morrison, remarked about the May trial. “The government’s case faltered dramatically during the compensation trial. Every government witness was roundly impeached or discredited during cross examination. Facing the potential of incurring enormous damages in a ruling expected after the October closing arguments in Reno -- and numerous “takings” cases brought by other ranchers who have found themselves in similar circumstances as Hage -- the U. S. Forest Service and BLM have little chance at damage control. They may be acting in desperation to intimidate other ranchers from similar attempts to seek compensation when federal government takes their property.”
Government Solicitor, Alf Brandt, justifies his actions in his letter to Sheriff DeMeo by stating that Hage is failing to keep his cattle on the forage of the 50-foot right-of-ways. Hage commented from his ranch, “The government argues that I must contain my cattle on 50 feet of either side of my 1866 ditch rights-of-ways, some of which are natural creeks. I defy anyone to show me where the Court has said that in any of the three published Decisions or in the one court Order. Yet this is their justification for seeking my arrest. The government refuses to recognize that I am not a trespasser on my own ranch.”
# # # # #
Contacts:
Tony DeMeo, Nye County Sheriff 775.751.7000 www.nyecountysheriff.net
Ramona Morrison 775.424.0570 rhmorrison@sbcglobal.net
Wayne Hage 775.482.4187
Ladd Bedford, Esq., Attorney for Hage 415.905.0200
Nevada Live Stock Association
9732 State Route 445, #305
Sparks, NV 89436
775.424.0570
Fax: 775.424.0571
rhmorrison@sbcglobal.net
Note from Kathy Van Tuyl: Remember, folks ... these are President Bush's Secretaries of Agriculture, of Interior, and his Attorney General. He apparently has no more control over them now than he did four years ago, and I haven't heard him talk about doing anything about them. Should we give him another four years?
To be fair, I doubt he even knows this is going on ... although you can bet his cabinet members do. And since their actions do truly endanger this nation and her citizens, AND, after all, don't these threatened actions by USFS and BLM constitute "paper terrorism" as defined by the Patriot Act ... I ask that you join me in demanding President Bush defend us against this kind of terrorism here at home ... NOW! This is a real and imminent danger ... and he can stop it with a phone call!
Let's see what a few thousand of us can accomplish! Please be respectful but firm. There is plenty of useful information in the Nevada Live Stock Association press release with which to construct your letter.
Federal Citizen Information Center - Email addresses for the Bush Administration http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/call/e-mail.htm 1-800-FED-INFO (1-800-333-4636)
President George Bush president@whitehouse.gov 1-202-456-1414 1-202-456-1111 1-888-552-9406 (non-working in parts of the country) Fax: 1-202-456-2883 or 202-456-2461
Secretary Ann Veneman Ann.Veneman@usda.gov 1-202-720-3631 1-866-632-9992 Veda Patterson 202-260-1026 Fax: 1-202-720-2166
U.S. Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth dbosworth@fs.fed.us 1-202-205-1661 Fax: 1-202-205-1765 U.S. Forest Service, 202-205-8421, Deputy Office, Kathleen Clemens
U.S. Forest Service Regional Forester, Region 4, Jack Troyer jtroyer@fs.fed.us 1-801-625-5605 Fax: 1-801-625-5359
Secretary of [the Department of] Interior Gale Norton gale_norton@ios.doi.gov 1-202-208-7351 or 1-202-208-6416 1-202-208-3100 (information and employee locator number) Fax: 1-202-208-3144, 202-208-6956 or 1-202-273-3501 [Harold] Craig Manson, Assistant Secretary for Fish & Wildlife and Parks 1-202-208-5347 craig_manson@ios.doi.gov
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director, Kathleen Clarke (Greg) Kathleen_Clarke@blm.gov 1-202-208-6731 or 1-202-452-5125 Fax: 1-202-452-5124
BLM State Director (Nevada), Robert Abbey babbey@nv.blm.gov 1-775-861-6590 Fax: 1-775-861-6601
Attorney General John Ashcroft AskDOJ@usdoj.gov 1-202-353-1555 or Main Switchboard 1-202-514-2000 Fax: 1-202-307-6777
Could this be why the federal agencies won't leave Wayne Hage alone? Please read and consider that this 'trail' passes through Private Land and that often the private landowner is not even told about the existence of this 'trail'
It seems that the American Discovery Trail (ADT), "The nation's first coast-to-coast, non-motorized recreation trail", passes right by (or through?) Wayne Hage's Pine Creek Ranch in Nye County, Nevada. http://www.discoverytrail.org/states/nevada/nv_points4.html
ADT's home page: "Stretching across more than 6,800 miles and 15 states, the ADT is the only coast-to-coast, non-motorized recreational trail. Linking communities, cities, parks and wilderness, the ADT allows people to hike, bike or ride horses for an afternoon or a cross-country adventure." The first "national discovery trail" long-distance trail. http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/archives/105cong/parks/pks97mtg.htm Originally described as being 6,000 miles in length -- from Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware to Point Reyes National Seashore in California -- it has expanded by over 800 miles in less than seven years. http://www.discoverytrail.org/index.html
The ADT website is supported by the Coleman Company and the Lipton Company: http://www.Coleman.com and http://www.Lipton.com . See more sponsors: http://www.discoverytrail.org/sponsors/index.html -- including DeLorme http://www.DeLorme.com
"About Us" and "Mission": http://www.discoverytrail.org/about/index.html
See the list of Board of Directors: http://www.discoverytrail.org/about/staff.html
info@discoverytrail.org
This researched information sent to you by Julie Kay Smithson propertyrights@earthlink.net www.PropertyRightsResearch.org (Have you visited lately? Family safe, educational and empowering, regularly updated.)
That elected sheriff is the highest ranking law enforcement officer in the county and his proper job is to protect the rights of citizens. He has the right (and duty) to eject anyone from that county who's there to infringe on the rights of anyone. This includes any agent of the federal corporation.
Yes, Wayne married Helen Chenoweth, former U.S. Congresswoman from Idaho, in last 1999. His first wife, Jean, died as the result of the stress brought on by the terrorism inflicted on the Hage family by the BLM and Forest Service over many years.
No, although this is an issue that Country Of Origin Labeling (COOL) would go a long way toward solving. BTW, I love your quote: "People never like what they don't understand" My website has many quotes: at the Home Page, the Quotes page and sprinkled throughout the site -- which now has over 9,000 pages that you can access free!
Yes
You're exactly right, American Spirit, and this sheriff has a lot of moxie -- he is tired of the BLM/Forest Service 21st century cattle rustling. Ben Colvin, Cliven Bundy, Kit/Sherry Laney, the Western Shoshone Dann sisters, Cliff Gardner -- all but one of these generational land stewards were in Nevada. It's way past time to contact everyone you/I/we can think of and make a LOUD NOISE to tell them that the BLM & Forest Service MUST BACK OFF and leave honest folks ALONE.
Bureaucrats cannot stand to be proven wrong. The arrogance the government is displaying in this case should be a warning to all property owners. If the government wants your land, do not resist, because we will take it anyhow.
Thirteen years of litigation unwillingly backed by American taxpayers fighting against a fellow American citizen is wrong. This is a case where our tax money is clearly being used to abuse the citizens. The BLM is backed by faulty environmental science, and enviro nazis have infiltrated the BLM and the Forest Service. This is dangerous for all property owners. The goal of these people is to remove human habitation from targeted areas and "convert" it back to wilderness that only the privliged can enjoy.
The ADT may have something to do with it, the main reason is his water.
I spoke to Mr. Hage about the reason, about a year, and a half ago, he said it was about his water, they want to pipe it to Las Vegas.
I saw your website in your tagline. I didn't get to surf it yet; but it is bookmarked.
I skimmed and posted without doing searches. I'm multitasking :)
Sorry for posting inappropriately. But at least the info is worthwhile.
I'm familiar with COOL. It is a BIG issue.
Promise to surf your site. I'm an info junkie and I have 2 people in mind already to shoot your link to (hence the bookmark).
His water and all other natural resources that lie on/under his ranch. I've visited Wayne and Helen and seen their ranch.
I know very little about how to do Free Republic correctly, so I may be inappropriate, myself! :-) Thanks for the sharing/bookmarking!
Great Americans, aren't they? Cut from the same cloth as the founders of our country.
Exactly! Please see The Wildlands Project button at my site for a lot of 'connecting the dots' -- and the UN button for more that connects The Wildlands Project to the UN...
do you have a link to what Sheriff DeMeo said?
Maggie, check your emails please.
The link at the top of the page goes to another press release, could you please provide a link to this press release, so I can pass it around?
I don't know how to do this; there is no website for the Nevada Live Stock Association.
The Press Release was sent to basically put the two errant federal agencies 'on notice' and to let all of us know that we have an opportunity to help by simply making a few phone calls and sending a few emails/faxes. "Problems are just opportunities in work clothes."
According to the Las Vegas Radio stations, they are doing some water rationing there now, Lake Mead is low on the water level.
Sorry, didn't pay that much attention to the topic, but it
gets talked about every now and then.
http://www.propertyrightsresearch.org/2004/articles/ranchers.htm
There ya go. Here's another darn good one!
http://www.propertyrightsresearch.org/
Without property rights you become property!
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