Lifelong Southern Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, recently cleared of federal charges and freed from jail after nearly two years, has turned his sights on state and county government. In a lawsuit filed Thursday, Bundy claimed that former President Barack Obama’s 2016 establishment of the Gold Butte National Monument was “as illegal as it is unlawful.” Bundy added that it would preclude him from continuing to function on his land “and destroy the petitioner’s livelihood.” Bureau of Land Management officials in Las Vegas postponed discussion of the monument at its meetings this month until the Trump administration decides on possible changes to the Obama-era land designation. “Recognizing that the land is not owned by the United States of America, (Bundy) has avoided erroneously giving money to an entity which does not actually own the land and has been careful not to give money erroneously to a stranger to the land,” according to the rancher’s lawsuit.
