Key things to know about the militia standoff near Burns

The takeover followed a peaceful march held by the group in support for ranchers Dwight Hammond, 73, and Steven Hammond, 46, who are scheduled to report to federal prison this week after being convicted of arson. "Given the seriousness of arson, a five-year sentence is not grossly disproportionate to the offense".

The two were convicted of the arsons three years ago and served time - the father three months, the son one year.

"We all know the devastating effects that are caused by wildfires", said Acting U.S. Attorney Billy Williams.

The prosecutor said witnesses saw the Hammonds illegally slaughter a herd of deer on public land. Militants, including the three sons of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, took over the empty headquarters compound on Saturday, insisting they will stay until federal land is returned to private ownership.

Scores of anti-government militiamen occupied a wildlife reserve in the USA state of OR for a second night on Sunday, warning that their protest against the jailing of two ranchers, which has divided Americans, could last months. They want us to know: They are simply occupying land and a building owned by 'We The People.' Our tax dollars. Two of the younger Bundy brothers are also involved.

Asked by an OPB reporter how many militia members were at the headquarters, Bundy didn't divulge.

Group leader Ammon Bundy told reporters the demonstrators are prepared to stay indefinitely.

"The best possible outcome is that the ranchers that have been kicked out of the area... come back and reclaim their land, and the wildlife refuge will be shut down forever and the federal government will relinquish such control", he told the Oregonian.

"This is not a decision we've made at the last minute", he added, calling on other militiamen to join them.

"When the federal government was stopped from enforcing the law at gunpoint, that energized this entire movement", said Heidi Beirich of the Southern Poverty Law Center, who said that Bundy's success has fueled a renewed rise in the number of anti-government activist groups and self-described militias.

A message posted on the website of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Jan. 3, 2016.

According to the Congressional Research Service, in Nevada the US owned more than 81 percent of the state's land in 2010. While the situation is ongoing, the main concern is employee safety and we can confirm that no federal staff were in the building at the time of the initial incident.

National media outlets are flocking to Burns to cover this developing situation, but both the Oregonian and OPB have numerous staffers on the ground and are putting together great coverage (examples here and here).

Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward said in a statement Sunday that the group of came to town under false pretenses.

A statement from the Federal Bureau of Investigation says they are "working with the Harney County Sheriff's Office, Oregon State Police and other local and state law enforcement agencies to bring a peaceful resolution to the situation".

Although there was no police presence at the site, authorities have warned people to stay away and the county has canceled school until next week as a precaution.

While several locals in Harney County, Oregon, have sided with Bundy and his gang of armed invaders, many others want nothing to do with them and want them out.

Cliven Bundy, the patriarch of a large Mormon family with more than 50 grandchildren, came into the spotlight in April 2014, when the federal government started impounding his 900 head of cattle, following a 20-year battle over cattle-grazing on federal land.

The stand-off gained nationwide attention as the agency sought to seize cattle because the elder Bundy refused to pay grazing fees. Not even the Hammonds wanted to be a part of the protest, but the Bundy militia didn't listen. The issue traces back to the 1970s and the "Sagebrush Rebellion", a move by Western states like Nevada to increase local control over federal land.

U.S. authorities say they are monitoring the situation and formulating a response, but the occupiers say they are willing to fight - and die - to reclaim the land they see as constitutionally belonging to them. If the situation turns violent, Bundy contends it will be because of the federal government's actions. Bundy and his men decided that the Hammonds would be their next pet project in their attempt to overthrow the rule of law and so they traveled to OR to make their point.

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