Podcast
Our Public Lands
Hosted by Adam Bronstein · EN
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
ourpubliclandspodcast.substack.com
34episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
#81 - Western Colorado Public Lands and Politics w/ Alex Kelloff
3d ago00:59:50Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I interview Alex Kelloff, a first-time candidate running in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District. Alex launched his campaign after Donald Trump’s 2024 reelection, citing concerns about January 6, public-lands selloffs and leasing for oil and gas, federal land-agency staffing cuts, and opposition to Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd and Project 2025-style policies. We discuss top voter concerns including cost of living, rural hospital instability, Medicaid cuts, and the need for universal affordable healthcare with an independently managed public system. Drawing on a 30+ year telecom career, Alex critiques AI data-center “land grab” spending, opposes data centers in his district due to land, water, and utility constraints, and discusses renewable transmission, mining tradeoffs, and public-lands governance.https://alexkelloff.com/00:57 Episode Preview Alex Kelloff02:54 Campaign Trail and Voter Struggles05:15 Public Lands as Economic Lifeline06:00 Inside Colorado Third District08:13 Why He’s Running Now10:52 Trump Era Impacts on Public Lands12:22 Top Issues Healthcare and Hospitals14:14 Universal Healthcare Vision17:33 Telecom Career and Infrastructure20:44 AI Data Centers and Public Lands22:31 AI Land Grab28:46 Opposing Data Centers in District30:05 Siting Data Centers Smartly30:43 Geothermal Drilling Risks31:43 Mining Materials Tradeoffs35:46 Rare Earths and War Strategy39:05 Renewables on Public Lands41:23 Transmission and Grid Bottlenecks44:13 RMPs and Project 202549:41 Grazing Permit Retirement51:47 Public Private Models Get full access to Our Public Lands Podcast at ourpubliclandspodcast.substack.com/subscribe
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#80 - Fungi, Forests, and the Tiger Mill Logging Project in Walla Walla’s Municipal Watershed
2w ago01:22:40Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I interview Paul Lynn, a Walla Walla, Washington-based mycology educator, business owner and public-lands advocate, about fungal ecology, mycelium networks, and how logging disrupts soils’ “sponge” function that stores and releases water. Paul links fungi to forest hydrology, climate processes, and a precautionary approach given how little is known about fungal communities. Our conversation focuses on the 38,000-acre Tiger Mill Project, a quote, unquote, “wildfire-risk-reduction timber sale” in and around Walla Walla’s heavily protected municipal watershed within a roadless area adjacent to the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness. Paul argues the project is a subsidized extraction effort using black-box models and flawed assumptions, risking worsening forest drying, fire behavior, sedimentation, and flood impacts in a rain-on-snow zone, and is positioned as a pilot for watershed logging elsewhere like in Bend and Portland Oregon, and Seattle, Washington.https://youtube.com/shorts/XX0jIhtVjFghttps://youtube.com/shorts/qOhp9yqJidUhttps://youtube.com/shorts/hLPbptKCzYEhttps://youtube.com/shorts/fFXVC_Hldl8Confluence SeriesWalla Walla WatershedsFungaia02:18 Meet Paul Lynn03:41 Mycology to Ecology06:36 Mycelium and Precaution08:43 Logging Impacts Soil Sponge10:47 Foraging and Drought12:33 Disturbance Morels and Spores15:01 Responsible Mushroom Picking18:04 Roots and Walla Walla20:55 Blue Mountains Microclimates24:48 Into Forest Activism29:15 Tiger Mill Pilot Project32:55 Wildfire Risk Narrative34:48 Water Stakes Floods and Fire36:59 Why Logging Worsens Hydrology40:21 Fire History and Recovery41:39 Endless Management Loop42:59 Trout After Wildfire44:41 Local Politics And Players48:36 Fire Risk Logging Debate51:05 Grassroots Education Strategy54:58 Money Grants And Liability59:13 Tiger Mill Project Details01:02:36 Modeling And NEPA Loopholes01:08:12 Flood Risk And Sediment01:12:07 Water Scarcity Big Picture01:16:18 Confluence Series And Links Get full access to Our Public Lands Podcast at ourpubliclandspodcast.substack.com/subscribe
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#79 - Smokejumper to Montana Congressman? w/ Sam Forstag
3w ago01:10:56Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I interview Sam Forstag, a former Missoula-based Forest Service smokejumper and union local vice president now running for Congress in Montana’s 1st District, motivated by DOGE-related cuts that fired many of his co-workers and by frustration with Rep. Ryan Zinke’s lack of response. Forstag shares his upbringing, education at the University of Montana, and eight years in firefighting, arguing that gutting agencies leads to privatization, higher costs, and weaker public-land stewardship. Our conversation covers money in politics, Citizens United, tax-code inequities, and healthcare. We debate and discuss public lands issues around wildfire strategy, WUI priorities, fuels work, NEPA timelines and staffing, logging versus local milling capacity, roadless-rule repeal, and the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act.“Fuel Reduction” Logging Exacerbates Wildfire Effects and Puts Communities at Greater RiskRising wildfire risk to houses in the United States, especially in grasslands and shrublandsHome hardening and defensible space can halve wildfire damage, study findsA More Effective Approach for Preventing Wildland-Urban Fire Disasters Jack Cohen, PhD; Research Physical Scientist; US Forest Service, retiredNorthern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act03:55 DOGE Cuts Spark Campaign06:57 Unionizing The Forest Service09:49 Organizing Spreads To NPS13:56 Money In Politics17:19 Healthcare Medicare Choice22:22 Why Run For Congress26:31 Life As A Smokejumper28:31 Letting Fire Burn31:42 WUI Home Hardening Debate33:09 Fuels Work And Logging Nuance36:26 Fuels Treatments38:03 Home Hardening41:33 WUI Definition44:48 NEPA Timelines and Courts53:18 Local Timber Milling01:01:00 Restoration Jobs With NREPA01:04:24 Roadless Rule Under Threat Get full access to Our Public Lands Podcast at ourpubliclandspodcast.substack.com/subscribe
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#78 - Evicting Bison from the Public Lands w/ Alison Fox
May 1600:55:31Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I interview Alison Fox, executive director of American Prairie, about the organization’s 25-year effort to build a 3.2-million-acre grassland reserve anchored by the 1.1-million-acre Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. Ali describes on-the-ground restoration including a bison herd grown from 16 animals to nearly 1,000, fence modification/removal, stream work, junk removal, and prairie dog restoration, plus wildlife successes like swift fox reintroduction and grizzly sightings. Our conversation centers on BLM’s proposed reversal of a 2022 decision allowing bison grazing on seven allotments they lease in Phillips County, introducing a new “production” standard under the Taylor Grazing Act that could affect other bison permittees and tribal herds; American Prairie has protested and is preparing further challenges while contingency-planning for herd relocation. Ali also discuss public access and hunting programs, local reactions and misconceptions, donor criticism, tribal partnerships, and a closing invitation to visit the reserve and the importance of public lands.www.americanprairie.org03:33 Meet Alison Fox04:27 Alison’s Background and Montana05:51 American Prairie Mission06:45 Origins and Why Grasslands Matter08:03 Acreage Breakdown and BLM Leases09:25 On the Ground Restoration Work11:39 Wildlife Comebacks Swift Fox13:23 Rewilding and Grizzly Return15:57 Land Acquisition and Ranching Leases17:48 Anchor Ranch and Public Access20:20 BLM Move to Rescind Bison Grazing24:33 Taylor Grazing Act Production Standard27:01 Precedent Risks and Next Steps28:42 Contingency Plans30:39 Cattle Only Permit Shift31:05 State Land Legal Fight31:47 Tribal Partnerships35:20 Stocking Rate Decisions36:08 Bison Versus Cattle38:10 Donors And Transparency41:55 Local Reception And Critics44:01 Hunting Access Programs46:05 Dispelling Bison Myths49:13 Negative Bison Easements50:15 Working With BLM50:50 Visit American Prairie51:54 Why Public Lands Matter Get full access to Our Public Lands Podcast at ourpubliclandspodcast.substack.com/subscribe
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#77 - Land Less Film: Old Growth Clearcutting in the Tongass w/ Joshua Wright & Wanda Culp
May 800:47:32Tap to summarizeDo you value this program? I am a one-man operation and could use your support! Thank youIn this episode, I am joined by Wanda Culp and Joshua Wright to discuss their new film, Land Less, and the “Landless Bill” (S.2554 / H.R.41), that would transfer 115,000 acres of Southeast Alaska public lands on the Tongass National Forest—about 60,000 currently protected by the Roadless Rule—to new Native corporations created under ANCSA. They describe ANCSA’s corporate model and contend past Tongass transfers, including the 2014 Sealaska Bill and the Alaska Mental Health Trust exchange, have repeatedly led to large-scale old-growth clearcut logging. They criticize major environmental groups like The Nature Conservancy and The Wilderness Society for supporting the bill, warning it functions as a workaround to NEPA and federal oversight, and discuss Sealaska’s cease-and-desist letter over a filmed boardroom scene. www.LandLessFilm.com00:56 Episode Preview Landless Bill02:12 Alaska Land Transfers Context04:04 Meet Wanda and Joshua04:24 Why Make Landless?06:47 Wanda’s Story09:22 Past Tongass Transfer Deals11:41 Why Landless Enables Logging14:41 Big Greens Backlash18:43 Sealaska Cease and Desist28:32 Tribal Governance and Youth34:07 No Public Process After Transfer38:44 Climate Crisis and Extraction41:30 How to Take Action Get full access to Our Public Lands Podcast at ourpubliclandspodcast.substack.com/subscribe
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#76 - Clearwater Country, Wilderness Values, and Forest Service Restructuring w/ Gary Macfarlane
May 101:03:06Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I speak with long-time wilderness advocate Gary MacFarlane. Gary discusses moving from Idaho to France, still active with Wilderness Watch and Friends of the Clearwater, he explains his long connection to the Northern Rockies and why the Clearwater Basin is so special to him, with diverse habitats and notable wildlife history including wolves, grizzly sightings, and the decline of woodland caribou tied to habitat change and human access. Our conversation covers threats to roadless areas, weaknesses and loopholes in the Roadless Rule, and the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act. We discuss mechanized recreation, core Wilderness Act protections, and concerns about Forest Service ties to industry, outsourcing, and reorganization harming wilderness stewardship, plus critiques of fire-logging justifications.02:03 Idaho to France Life03:17 Wild Places in France05:29 Why the Clearwater Matters07:29 Inland Rainforest Ecology09:15 Wolves Grizzlies Caribou14:29 Roadless Rule Loopholes16:41 Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act19:26 Politics Jobs and Subsidies24:10 Recreation Versus Wilderness29:54 What Wilderness Protects31:46 Logging Bans Explained32:38 Grazing and Guiding Loopholes34:10 Chainsaws and Trail Ethics36:33 Forest Service Reorg Fallout38:58 Losing Wilderness Professionals45:23 Devolution to State Control47:29 Research Stations and Fire Science50:32 Privatization and Canada Warning53:25 Reform Ideas for New Agencies58:26 Prescribed Fire and Home Hardening Get full access to Our Public Lands Podcast at ourpubliclandspodcast.substack.com/subscribe
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#75 - Our Next Public Lands Champion in Congress? w/ Ryan Busse
Apr 2300:51:23Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I speak with Ryan Busse, Democratic congressional candidate running in MT-01. He is currently projected to win the upcoming primary election in early June. On public lands issues in Congress, Ryan argues calls and letters aren’t enough without electoral change, citing the example of the recent vote on the Boundary Waters, and lays out his case as to why he’ll be a strong fighter for public lands in Washington for all Americans. We discuss “collaborative conservation” and Montana public-lands bills that protect limited wilderness acres at the expense of vast swaths of roadless forests. We discuss Montana’s logging past, new economies, the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act, restoration jobs, and a wildfire approach focused on home hardening and defensible space rather than backcountry logging.https://busseformontana.com00:34 Guest Intro03:36 Campaign Life on the Road05:17 Boundary Waters Disaster08:10 Public Lands Laws09:40 Zinke and Daines Exit11:57 Hunting Season Sacrifices12:56 Public Lands Campaign Plan15:28 Why Elect True Advocates?17:24 Busse’s Conservation Resume19:13 Democratic Opponents21:20 Public Lands for All Americans23:23 Polls and Montana’s Stakes25:17 Public Lands on the Ballot25:59 Collaborative Conservation27:43 Why Collaboration Fails29:31 Montana’s Collaborative Bills32:45 Roadless Habitat35:43 NREPA and Restoration Jobs37:30 Wild Places Drive the Economy41:30 Lumber Mill Automation and Jobs43:42 Wildfire Science and Home Hardening48:09 Election Stakes Get full access to Our Public Lands Podcast at ourpubliclandspodcast.substack.com/subscribe
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#74 - What's Next for the Boundary Waters? w/ Ingrid Lyons
Apr 1900:49:19Tap to summarizePlease consider “upgrading” your subscription to support my workU.S. Senate passed H.J. Res. 140 (50–49) to overturn a 20-year mineral withdrawal protecting 225,504 acres in the Boundary Waters’ Rainy River headwaters, sending the resolution to President Trump. Ingrid explains the Quetico-Superior ecosystem’s vulnerability to sulfide copper mining, the history of canceled Twin Metals leases and the 2023 public land order, and argues the Congressional Review Act use is unprecedented and threatens broader public land orders. She outlines next steps including likely issuance of federal mineral leases, expedited federal and state permitting and environmental review, possible litigation, and pursuing permanent protections through federal and Minnesota legislation, while urging supporters to thank supportive senators, hold others accountable, volunteer, donate, and stay engaged.Save the Boundary Waters Action Fund00:56 Senate Vote Fallout02:08 Meet Ingrid Lyons02:49 Why the Boundary Waters Matter05:26 Mining Threat Explained06:51 How Protections Were Won09:48 Withdrawal Area Breakdown11:42 Legislative Attacks Timeline13:34 How the CRA Was Used17:02 Senate Vote and Precedent18:51 Coalition Strength and Vote Count23:23 What Happens Next28:56 How You Can Help33:23 Q and A Begins Get full access to Our Public Lands Podcast at ourpubliclandspodcast.substack.com/subscribe
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#73 - A Woman Among Wolves w/ Diane Boyd
Apr 1700:48:58Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I interview Diane Boyd, wolf biologist and author. Diane describes learning wolf trapping and collaring during her early years in Minnesota, then moving to Montana in 1979 during early natural wolf recolonization before the 1995–96 Yellowstone/Idaho introductions. She explains why biologists trap wolves, what radio-collars reveal about pack behavior, reproduction, territories, diet, and genetics, and how wolf management has become politicized. Our discussion critiques state population modeling, increasingly liberal wolf-killing rules, and persistent misinformation blaming wolves for game declines despite elk numbers being high and livestock losses from wolves being small. We also discuss public-lands grazing impacts, nonlethal coexistence tools, fears of escalation to poisoning, and the need for better public communication of science, advocating for public lands, and her new book — A Woman Among Wolves.Diane’s book - A Woman Among Wolves00:56 Episode Preview02:51 Meet Diane Boyd03:24 Hunting Talk05:00 Wolf Origins06:01 Trapping And Collars07:34 Montana Recolonization08:56 Research Questions10:06 Models And Trends11:42 Wolf Hunting Debate15:27 Elk Deer Myths17:22 Grazing And Habitat19:31 Coexistence Tools23:31 People Politics Data25:44 Why Wolves Get Blamed26:49 Control Culture and Old Predator Wars28:53 Common Myths30:52 Hunting Pressure and Poison Fears34:41 Changing Minds With Better Science36:08 Agency Misinformation and Suppressed Research40:10 Grizzlies Next?42:36 Why Wolves Adapt Everywhere45:04 Hope, Tolerance, and Public LandsBy “upgrading” your subscription, can help support my work. Thanks to all my listeners and supporters! Get full access to Our Public Lands Podcast at ourpubliclandspodcast.substack.com/subscribe
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#72 - Halting the Big Bend Border Wall w/ Bob Krumenaker
Apr 1401:06:52Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I interview Bob Krumenaker, retired Big Bend National Park superintendent, about the recently proposed Big Bend border wall and its implications. Bob describes Big Bend’s desert, Chisos Mountains, and the Rio Grande riparian corridor, emphasizing biodiversity, cross-border wildlife movement, and the park’s international protected-area status. He argues Big Bend has the lowest illegal crossing activity on the southern border—about 200 apprehensions annually within the park—and says a 30-foot bollard wall would require new roads, towers, lighting, and secondary barriers, harming wilderness character, dark skies, river access, and wildlife. The discussion covers existing surveillance infrastructure, an MOU guiding Border Patrol conduct, prior wall impacts in Organ Pipe and Coronado, and a nonpartisan coalition opposing the wall while supporting less intrusive, cooperative technology. Bob also outlines advocacy steps and links the fight to long-stalled wilderness designation efforts.Thousands in Texas protest against border wall through national park: ‘big love for Big Bend’Sign the Change Dot Org PetitionFive Call - Stop Construction of a Border Wall in the Big Bend RegionCapitol Switchboard Number - (202) 224-3121Keep Big Bend WildNo Big Bend Boarder Wall00:56 Episode Preview02:12 Support the Podcast03:03 Meet Bob Krumenaker03:26 Career Path to Superintendent04:56 Advocacy Inside NPS06:48 Park Service Mission and Management11:43 Pivot to Big Bend Tenure13:57 Big Bend Ecosystems Overview16:30 Sky Islands and Rare Species17:41 Wildlife Comebacks and Connectivity19:49 Crossings Data and Border Patrol Role21:58 Wall Impacts in Other Parks26:00 MOU and Working with Border Patrol27:53 Wall Proposal Timeline and Map Changes33:00 What a Wall Would Build35:20 River Access At Risk36:21 What Smart Wall Means38:57 Surveillance Tradeoffs42:15 How Crossings Really Work45:46 Coalition Against The Wall54:01 Wilderness History And Future01:00:18 How You Can Help01:03:05 Why Public Lands Matter Get full access to Our Public Lands Podcast at ourpubliclandspodcast.substack.com/subscribe
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