Tuesday, R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard issued the following statement regarding
President Trump's Grant of Executive Clemency for Oregon ranchers Dwight and
Steven Hammond, father and son, respectively.
"We are thankful for President Trump's pardon of Dwight and Steven
Hammond. Their lengthy incarceration was viewed by many in the cattle industry,
including us, as unjust and unwarranted.
"We are well aware that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the agency
that brought charges against the Hammonds, has been systematically eliminating
both grazing opportunities and ranchers from federally managed lands. In a
separate case also involving the BLM, and one that occurred around the same
timeframe as the Hammonds' case, a federal district court found the BLM had
engaged in an intentional conspiracy to deprive a rancher of his permits and
water rights. The court found that the government's behavior directed toward
the rancher "shocks the conscience of the Court."
"We believe the government's behavior against the Hammonds was similarly
shocking and we initiated a social media effort to assist other individuals and
organizations, including Protect the Harvest and the Oregon Cattlemen's
Association, in calling upon President Trump to pardon the Hammonds.
"We welcome the Hammonds back home to their ranch and wish them the very
best in getting their lives and their ranch back on track."