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PODCAST

Our Public Lands

A podcast about our beloved and treasured public lands where I interview subject matter experts and activists from across the country who are working to protect and advocate for our public lands and their wildlife, wilderness, and cultural values. ourpubliclandspodcast.substack.com

society & culture wilderness

All Episodes

83:09

#50 - The "Fix" Our Forests Act Scam w/ Jennifer...

Our Public Lands ·

2025/10/30

In this episode, I speak with Jennifer Mamola of the John Muir Project and Josh Osher of Western Watersheds Project about the Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA), its implications, and the actions needed to prevent its passage. Our conversation delves deeply into various aspects of the bill, including its potential impact on public lands, logging, vegetation treatments, endangered species, judicial review, and grazing policies. Concerns are raised about the bill’s risk to ecosystem integrity and public

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52:59

#49 - Corner Crossing Legal Victory: A Game Changer...

Our Public Lands ·

2025/10/22

In this episode, I speak with Ryan Semerad—attorney with Fuller & Semerad Law Firm—who represented the four hunters who were charged with trespass after corner crossing over a private ranch onto public lands in Wyoming. The Supreme Court issued an order on Monday declining to hear the case, upholding the district court ruling dropping the charges. As a result, corner crossing is now legal across the 10th Circuit and likely elsewhere across the country.Our discussion covers the historical and legal

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92:14

#48 - A Montana Conservation Legend w/ Joe Gutkoski &...

Our Public Lands ·

2025/10/11

In this episode, I interview Joe Gutkoski, a conservation legend and hero to many in Southwest Montana. Joe passed away in 2021. In the introduction, I am joined by former friend and colleague Pat Simmons who shares personal stories and background about Joe. Joe was born and raised in northeast Pennsylvania, and details his move to Montana after serving in the Navy in 1946. He discusses his 30-plus year career with the Forest Service working a landscape architect, and tensions that arose when he

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80:32

#47 - Public Land Warriors w/ Ryan Busse

Our Public Lands ·

2025/09/30

In this episode, I interview Ryan Busse, 2024 Democratic candidate for Montana Governor and former executive with Kimber Firearms. We discuss crucial issues surrounding public lands, conservation, and hunting advocacy. Ryan highlights his concern for the declining state of democracy and its impact on public lands, emphasizing the need for hunters and anglers to be unapologetic in their advocacy for wild places. We critique the current state of hunting nonprofits, arguing they are not adequately

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49:05

#46 - RE:PUBLIC: A New Voice in Public Lands...

Our Public Lands ·

2025/09/20

In this episode, I interview Christopher Keyes, former editor-in-chief of Outside Magazine about his new venture RE:PUBLIC, a journalism outlet dedicated to covering public lands issues. We discuss his journalism career and 15 years working at Outside Magazine. Our conversation covers the significance of public lands, the recreation economy, and the challenges faced by the journalism industry. Chris emphasizes the necessity of objective journalism in the current political climate and his plans to

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57:22

#45 - The Enduring Wild: A Journey Through California...

Our Public Lands ·

2025/09/11

In this episode, I interview Josh Jackson, author and public lands advocate. Our discussion centers around Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands and the imperative of connecting people to these vast stretches of public lands. We discuss Josh’s new book, The Enduring Wild, which focuses on California BLM lands and aims to highlight their beauty and importance through immersive storytelling, photography, and essays. He elaborates on the themes and messages from his book, emphasizing the need for

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76:28

#44 - Unmasking Active Forest Management w/ Josh...

Our Public Lands ·

2025/09/03

In this episode, I interview Josh Schlossberg, a forest advocate, coordinator of the Eco-Integrity Alliance, and eco-horror writer. Josh discusses the complexities of forest management and the profound challenges that come with advocating for public lands. We critically examine the role of propaganda and biased journalism in shaping public opinion on wildfire management. Josh shares his experience with public records requests that reveal disinformation campaigns and discusses how political and

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40:30

#43 - Protecting Whistleblowers and Public Employees...

Our Public Lands ·

2025/08/25

In this episode, I interview Tim Whitehouse, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Tim discusses PEER's unique mission in representing public employees, particularly whistleblowers. Our conversation touches on the challenges faced by public employees, the critical state of public lands, and the impact of current administrative policies. Tim emphasizes the importance of public engagement and support for civil servants and federal

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94:21

#42 - Love Battles for the Wild w/ Brock Evans

Our Public Lands ·

2025/08/15

In this episode, I sit down with Brock Evans, a legend in the conservation movement. Brock is now 88 years old and lives in La Grande, Oregon with his wife Linda. He discusses his decades-long journey of conservation efforts ranging from protecting the North Cascades National Park, to the Hells Canyon and the French Pete drainage in Oregon. He recounts his encounters with logging and mining threats, his involvement with the Sierra Club, his friendships with key figures like David Brower, and his

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63:03

#41 - Protecting America's Roadless Forests w/ Len...

Our Public Lands ·

2025/08/09

In this episode, I interview Len Montgomery — the Great Outdoors Campaign Director for Environment America, about her background in environmental activism and her work to protect public lands and forests. Len shares insights from her early days collecting public comments for the Roadless Rule and her experiences as an environmental organizer. Our discussion delves into the history and significance of roadless areas, the ongoing threats from recent and current administrations, and the importance of

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95:10

#40 - Reversing the Most Unprecedented Assault on...

Our Public Lands ·

2025/08/02

In this episode, I interview Jim Pattiz of More Than Just Parks, to talk about the unprecedented damages to public lands that we can soon expect from the recent enactment of the Big Beautiful Bill. First, we discuss his latest film about the Ocmulgee Mounds, an ancient indigenous gathering site in Georgia before moving on the impacts of the recent reconciliation bill, highlighting the massive increases in mandated logging on federal lands, long-term timber contracts, unsustainable coal mining

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58:24

#39 - Wild Bison Conservation & Tribal Co-Management...

Our Public Lands ·

2025/07/29

In this episode, I speak with Dallas Gudgell, a tribal member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes about the conservation movement today, indigenous perspectives, and the current state and challenges of bison management in and around Yellowstone National Park. Dallas discusses tribal leadership and inclusive decision-making in addressing climate change and biodiversity, and also highlights the need for better representation of tribal interests in conservation efforts, the impact of siloed

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30:30

#38 - Setting the Stage for Wilderness Protection in...

Our Public Lands ·

2025/07/27

In this episode, Glenn Monahan of the Gallatin Yellowstone Wilderness Alliance discusses the history of the Gallatin Range land exchanges, focusing on Big Sky's development and the impact on wilderness protection. Initiating with land ownership complexities since 1862, Glenn describes the role of pivotal land exchanges in the 1990s. He highlights the changing dynamics of land use advocacy, now influenced by industry and recreation groups, and criticizes the Gallatin Forest Partnership and their

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53:50

#37 - The Importance of Quiet w/ Matt Mikkelsen

Our Public Lands ·

2025/07/19

In this episode, I interview Matt Mikkelsen of Quiet Parks International, to discuss the importance of preserving quiet in our natural and urban environments. Matt delves into the effects of noise pollution, such as increased stress levels and its impact on wildlife communication. Our conversation also highlights the global efforts by Quiet Parks International to certify quiet places, the personal and societal benefits of quiet, and the ongoing challenge with military aircraft noise in Olympic

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79:18

#36 - Defending the Northern Rockies Ecosystem w/...

Our Public Lands ·

2025/07/13

In this episode, I interview Michael Garrity, executive director of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies. Mike discusses in detail numerous legal battles led by the Alliance, aimed at protecting imperiled species such as grizzly bears, bull trout, and lynx, from destructive practices such as road building, logging, and livestock grazing. Specific examples from regions like the Manti-La Sal National Forest, the Targhee National Forest, and various projects in Montana and Idaho illustrate the

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65:58

#35 - Exploring the Biodiversity of Snag Forests w/...

Our Public Lands ·

2025/07/06

In this episode, I catch up with Maya Khosla and Craig Swolgaard in the field in a recently burned snag forest near Mono Lake, California. Our discussion revolves around the ecological importance of snag forests (areas with standing dead trees primarily caused by wildfires and/or insects). Maya and Craig discuss the ecological significance and the rich biodiversity of snag forests, emphasizing their unique role in supporting a wide range of plant and animal species, particularly birds. Our

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75:45

#34 - Sequoia Gate: Government Deception and Natural...

Our Public Lands ·

2025/06/30

In this episode, I mic up Dr. Chad Hanson of the John Muir Project in the sequoia groves of Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park in Southern California as part of a preliminary research trip to study post fire recovery. Chad discusses the response of the National Park Service to the 2020 and 2021 wildfires revealing discrepancies between government claims and the actual state of sequoia regeneration in high-intensity fire areas. Chad exposes the misleading narrative used to justify aggressive active

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50:32

#33 - The Big Ugly Public Lands Bill w/ Josh Osher

Our Public Lands ·

2025/06/26

In this episode, I interview Josh Osher, Public Policy Director with Western Watersheds Project. Josh provides an in-depth look at the budget reconciliation process and its implications for public lands and federal spending. He explains the difference between annual and 10-year budgets, the appropriations process, and how budget reconciliation allows for changes to spending programs without the 60-vote threshold in the Senate. Key issues discussed include the potential public land sell-offs,

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73:44

#32 - Roadless Rule Rollback—The State of Roadless...

Our Public Lands ·

2025/06/24

In this episode, I interview Gary Macfarlane and Katie Bilodeau about the threats posed to roadless areas on Forest Service lands. We delve into the history and current challenges faced in conserving these invaluable wildlands.We discuss loopholes in the state-specific roadless rules and their impacts on public lands. Emphasizing the urgency to protect roadless lands as future wilderness areas, Gary and Katie call for more concrete

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55:22

#31 - The Ground Truth: Livestock Impacts to Western...

Our Public Lands ·

2025/06/17

In this episode, I speak with Jonathan Ratner from Sage-Steppe Wild. Jonathan discusses the often unnoticed degradation caused by livestock grazing on public lands and shares his experiences working with agencies like the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. He recounts eye-opening moments from his conservation career, including detailed monitoring and documentation of ecological damage on various public lands, specifically highlighting grazing allotments in Utah and Grand

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55 results

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