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Gov. to feds: End standoff

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Oregon's governor said she's frustrated with the way federal authorities are handling an armed group's continued occupation of a national wildlife refuge and it's time to end it.

Exasperated by a tense situation that has caused fear among some southeastern Oregon residents since it began Jan. 2, Gov. Kate Brown said at a news conference Wednesday that federal officials "must move quickly to end the occupation and hold all of the wrongdoers accountable.""The residents of Harney County have been overlooked and underserved by federal officials' response thus far. I have conveyed these very grave concerns directly to our leaders at the highest levels of our government: the U.S. Department of Justice and the White House," Brown said.The Democratic governor said the occupation has cost Oregon taxpayers nearly half a million dollars. "We'll be asking federal officials to reimburse the state for these costs," Brown said.Brown spokeswoman Melissa Navas said in an email that number is coming from labor costs for an additional law enforcement presence in the area, including overtime, travel reimbursement, lodging and meals for officers.Federal authorities did not return calls seeking comment.Brown had scheduled the news conference to discuss her agenda for the upcoming legislative session, but she made it a point to deliver strong words about the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by Ammon Bundy and his armed group.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown outlines her 2016 policy agenda at a press conference at the State Capitol in Salem, Ore., on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016. Brown said she is angry federal authorities have not yet taken action against an armed group occupying a national wildlife refuge in southeastern Oregon and said she plans to bill the U.S. government for what it has been costing Oregon taxpayers. (Molly J. Smith /Statesman-Journal via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT