Posted on 01/25/2016 8:45:50 AM PST by w1n1
A hunter, veteran, retired fisheries biologist and others rallied for public lands in downtown Seattle early this afternoon.
Make no mistake, Mark Heckert of the Washington chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers told a crowd of 75 at the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building, the group that took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge earlier this month and their agenda is not going away unless it is countered.
Speaking forcefully, Heckert, a biologist from Puyallup, called himself a "patriot" who enjoys going out into the wild country of public lands where he can feel like a king.
He said that when he heard news of the Malheur takeover, he couldn't stand it and went there himself. He's the one with the "Get The Flock Outta My Wildlife Refuge sign." A recent video shows him ripping off a tarp put up by occupiers over a sign at the refuge.
Linking the group there to a wider movement backed by the American Lands Council - the stated mission of which is "transferring federal public lands to willing states" - Heckert urged the gathered to fight against it. Read the rest of the report here.
Wild lands should not be governed by bureaucrats and lobbyists in Washington. States rights bring the decision making down to the people. With fed in control we have deal makers who run party machines making Detroit decisions for forests in Idaho.
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