Permits Blocked For Ranchers At Center Of Land Dispute

A federal judge has blocked the grazing permits issued to Dwight and Steven Hammond in Eastern Oregon.

Judge Michael Simon issued a temporary restraining order, stopping the permits granted by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke before he left the Trump administration.

Environmental groups had sued over the permits, arguing they were granted in violation of B_L-M policies.

The Hammonds served jail time for setting fires on federal pastures in Eastern Oregon.

That led to the Ammon Bundy led a takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon as a protest of federal land-use decisions and policies.