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Employee Describes Malheur Refuge After Occupation: It Was Completely Trashed

OPB

Fish biologist Linda Beck testified Monday that the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge delayed work she was doing to deal with invasive carp.

Testifying for the prosecution in the trial of seven occupiers, Beck said she and other U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service workers planned a large operation to reduce the carp population in Malheur Lake and its tributaries at the end of January 2016.

But Beck, who works at the refuge and owns a ranch in Harney County, said she could not get onto the refuge to perform the removal duties because of the 41-day takeover.

Prosecutors showed photographs of Beck's office that appeared in the media. Several photos showed Ammon Bundy, Ryan Bundy and Shawna Cox using her space. There were also several photos of people holding weapons in her office and guns leaning against the wall in her workspace.

Prosecutors asked Beck whether the weapons were hers. Her response: “I’m not allowed to have guns in my office."

She also described her return to the refuge on Feb. 17 after the occupation ended: “I would describe it as completely trashed,” she said.

During her testimony, the jury was also shown a photo of the boat launch at Malheur Lake. In the photo, dozens of pink evidence flags adorn the ground near the launch.

Marcus Mumford, the lawyer for occupation leader Ammon Bundy, asked Beck if she knew what those flags were.

She said the flags marked spent ammunition casings near the lake.

“Before this photo was taken there were even more pink flags," she said. "There were hundreds, to the point where I couldn’t even really get out there without kind of, presumably stepping on these pink flags and disturbing evidence."

More refuge employees are expected to testify Monday afternoon.

Copyright 2016 Oregon Public Broadcasting.