First, the BLM first sought a legal means of relieving Cliven Bundy of his grazing rights in 1998, not 1993.
Second, you and I calculate differently. I would say that, as a minimum, the federal government asserted its rights to the land when it required a contract and grazing fees in 1934, under the federal Taylor Grazing Act. I would say the Bundy’s were aware of that at least as early as 1934, when the Bundy’s first entered into a grazing contract and began to pay grazing fees to the federal government. As to the BLM in particular, I would say the BLM first asserted its claim to the property in question in 1946, when the Grazing Service (which held the leases under the Taylor Grazing Act) was merged with the General Land Office to form the BLM.
Under my most generous interpretation, the period from 1882 to 1946 does not equal ‘over 100 years.” As I said, we calculate differently.
"The dispute between Bundy and the federal government dates to 1993, when land managers cited concern for the federally protected tortoise and capped his herd at 150 animals on a 250-square-mile rangeland allotment."
There is is in a nutshell. They changed the rules and still demanded payment.
It was never about rent. It was about the greenies trying to run him off of the land. Why is it acceptable for 150 Cows to stomp on tortoises but not 151 or 240 or 500 or 1000?
The Gub'ment didn't revoke his rights in 1993 they instead just changed the rules to make his approved usage of the land worthless to him.