BURNS, Ore. (KOIN) — Federal authorities set up a perimeter around the Malheur Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday morning where militia members were still occupying in protest.
The agencies said in a statement that the containment was to ‘better ensure the safety of community members.” According to the statement, only Harney County ranchers who own property in specific areas will be required to show identification and be allowed to pass.
Media in the area were advised to leave.
It was unclear exactly how many people remained in the buildings at the refuge.
Jason Patrick, a new leader of the occupation, told Oregon Public Broadcasting that five or six members of the group agreed to continue the standoff.
Late Tuesday, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown asked for “patience as officials continue pursuit of a swift and peaceful resolution.”
Law enforcement will hold a press conference at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. KOIN 6 News will be live streaming the event here.
Brand Thornton, one of Bundy’s supporters, said he left the refuge Monday and wasn’t sure what those remaining would do.
“The entire leadership is gone,” he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “I wouldn’t blame any of them for leaving.”
Thornton called the arrests “a dirty trick” by law enforcement.
Arrests made
One person died and 8 were arrested after the FBI and the Oregon State Police intercepted the group along Highway 395.
Militia leaders Ammon and Ryan Bundy along with five other members of the group were booked into Multnomah County Jail early Wednesday morning.
The militants were heading to a community meeting in John Day when they were confronted by authorities.
Shots were fired after FBI agents, Oregon State Police and other authorities made the stop. It is unclear who opened fire first. Militia spokesperson LaVoy Finicum was killed during the arrest.
The militants, calling themselves Citizens for Constitutional Freedom, came to the frozen high desert of eastern Oregon to decry what it calls onerous federal land restrictions and to object to the prison sentences of two local ranchers convicted of setting fires.
Specifically, the group wanted federal lands turned over to local authorities. The U.S. government controls about half of all land in the West. Conflicts over Western land use stretch back decades.
In the 1970s, Nevada and other states pushed for local control in what was known as the Sagebrush Rebellion. Supporters wanted more land for cattle grazing, mining and timber harvesting.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.