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Steve Grasty

Former Judge of the Harney County, Ore. Court

About Steve Grasty

Former Judge (Executive) Steve Grasty was in his 18th year as Harney County Judge when his county was besieged by armed insurgents who forcibly took over and occupied the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The occupation continued for 41 days and attracted national attention. Judge Grasty had to coordinate his county's response and work with a multitude of state and federal agencies who responded to the event. Judge Grasty had previously led collaborative efforts to develop a new management plan for the refuge and had led work in Oregon to develop a plan to prevent the listing of the Sage Grouse as an endangered species. He was instrumental in establishing the Steens Mountains Management Plan thus preventing the creation of a National Monument. The Judge is a past president and board member of the Association of Oregon Counties as well as a long time NACo Public Lands Committee member. He will speak to lessons learned from the occupation and his years of dedication to public lands issues as well as the challenges he faced as a county leader.