Part 7/10:

The complexity of the BLM's mission often leads to controversies and disputes. Events like the standoff involving the Hammond family and the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge illustrate the tensions between federal land management and community members who feel their rights and way of life are threatened by federal regulations. Such incidents are symptomatic of a broader pattern in which ranchers assert their dependence on BLM land while federal policies shift toward conservation.