New Sagebrush Rebellion Prompts Look at Who Controls Old West (2)

A warm winter in the sagebrush-flanked valleys of northern Nevada has left snow-free grasses where rancher J.J. Goicoechea has his federal grazing allotment ripe for his cows to feed—if only he was allowed to use it this time of year.

For years, he’s argued in vain that ranchers—not the government—should decide when the lands can be grazed. The Eureka County, Nev., commissioner and former Nevada state veterinarian has taken that plea directly to the White House.

He may soon get his wish. Six years after rancher Cliven Bundy led an armed standoff with the Bureau of Land Management in Bunkerville, ...