Heroes or criminals? Trump pardons 2 Oregon ranchers
SALEM, Ore. — Rugged individualists to some, dangerous arsonists to others, a father and son who were convicted of intentionally setting fires on public land in Oregon were pardoned Tuesday by President Donald Trump.
The pardon is raising concerns that it will encourage others to actively oppose federal control of public land, which is a sensitive issue in the U.S. West where the federal government owns almost 50 per cent of the land.
Six years ago, Dwight Hammond and his son Steven, part of a family of ranchers in the high desert of eastern Oregon, were convicted of arson. Their stiff prison sentences led armed protesters to seize a national wildlife refuge in 2016 in Oregon near the Hammond ranch.
Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, a well-known figure in the battle over public land and whose sons led the refuge takeover, welcomed the pardons, saying the Hammonds were victims of federal overreach.