"The armed occupation of a wildlife refuge in southeastern Oregon has interrupted important habitat restoration work that must be completed before spring migration — when hundreds of thousands of birds descend on the area’s vast wetlands, conservationists and bird-watchers say.

Bob Sallinger, conservation director of the Audubon Society of Portland, hopes the occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by a militia group concludes before the explosion of life in April, when some three hundred bird species arrive to nest and forage.

“This refuge is one of the most important in the United States — it’s one of the crown jewels,” Sallinger said. “It needs to get back to the business of managing birds and restoring habitat.”"

Renee Lewis reports for Aljazeera America January 8, 2016. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"I Stand with Linda Sue Beck: The Attack on Science at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge" (Medium) [3]

"Commercial Fishing Aimed At Carp Invasion At Malheur Refuge" (AP) [4]

"Pizza, Rifles And Tension: A Night Inside The Oregon Protest" (Reuters) [5]

"Oregon Standoff: Militants Used Federal Computers, Saw Employee Data, Report Says" (Portland Oregonian) [6]

"Turning Around Malheur Wildlife Refuge One Carp Carcass At A Time" (Oregon Public Broadcasting: June 9, 2014) [7]

"Malheur Refuge Carp" (Oregon Public Broadcasting: Feb. 26, 2009) [8]