The Smoking Tire Podcast – Wes Siler: Public Lands, Journalism, and the State of Conservation

Hosts: Matt Farah, Zack Klapman
Guest: Wes Siler (Journalist, Adventurer, Public Lands Advocate)
Date: February 26, 2026

Episode Overview

Matt Farah and Zack Klapman engage in a wide-ranging conversation with Wes Siler, a renowned journalist known for his outdoor advocacy, in-depth writing, and recent run for Montana state senate. The episode explores the intersection of automotive enthusiasm, outdoor adventure, the evolution of journalism, and the existential threats facing America’s public lands. Wes shares anecdotes from his career, discusses why he got fired from Outside magazine, provides a primer on public land, and answers audience questions on everything from conservation to UTV safety.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Wes Siler’s Journalism Journey & Political Run

• Career Background

  • Wes recaps decades of work as Outside magazine's outdoor columnist, covering cars, trucks, gear, dogs, and, increasingly, conservation issues.
    "I was at Outside as the outdoor lifestyle columnist for a decade. I was by far the most popular writer. I was responsible for something like a quarter to half of all web traffic." – Wes Siler [03:30]

• Why He Was Fired (and The State of Journalism)

  • Explains being let go after declaring candidacy for Montana state senate, citing the changing priorities of media owners.
    "I was fired in September for being a journalist." – Wes Siler [02:34]
    "You can't be a journalist working for most mainstream outlets today… they want unchallenging content." – Wes Siler [04:34]
  • Discusses the shift of good journalism to platforms like Substack and the newsletter renaissance.

• Transition To Politics & Public Service

  • Shares motivations: frustration with the status quo, wanting to make a positive local impact.
    "If I win, I'm just still Wes… I'm just some guy who's fed up with the status quo and wants to help create some change because I think I can." – Wes Siler [08:03]
  • De-mystifies the scale of Montana state senate:
    "Running for state senate here is kind of like running for town council in Santa Monica." – Wes Siler [06:21]
  • Candid about the difficulties and (lack of) perks:
    "It's all downside, I have to say. Don't run for office." – Wes Siler [08:53]

2. Public Lands: History, Importance, Threats

• Brief History and Definition

  • Public lands aren’t solely national/state parks; they include BLM, National Forests, etc., and are managed for multi-use (resources, recreation, conservation).
    "It's owned by the American people and managed on our behalf by the federal government." – Wes Siler [18:17]

• Global and American Uniqueness

  • Explains why U.S. public lands are exceptional worldwide, support immense biodiversity, and are vital for recreation, tourism, and clean air/water.
    "That healthy wildlife that then tourism thrives on, that establishes our unique identity as Americans of going camping, of being outdoorsy... all that is from public lands." – Wes Siler [19:19]

• Current Policy Threats & Short-term Extraction

  • Warns of unprecedented political attempts to dismantle the multi-use, sustainable management, favoring quick profits over generations-long stewardship. "What we're seeing right now is an unprecedented attack that's trying to undo that balance and tip it entirely in favor of extraction." – Wes Siler [20:47] "We're in the get-it-all-now government." – Matt Farah [21:19]
  • Calls out "backsliding" in conservation over recent years compared with historical bipartisan support. "In terms of public lands, this has been the biggest backslide ever." – Matt Farah [24:04]
    "100% since they were established." – Wes Siler [24:04]

• Role of Politics in Outdoor Enthusiasm

  • Both cars and the outdoors now collide with politics, from EV mandates to land use. "If you care about cars or the outdoors, politics comes for you whether you want it to or not." – Matt Farah [10:47]

3. Socio-political Commentary

• The Real Agenda Behind ICE and Civil Unrest

  • Siler analyzes how ICE activities and manufactured conflict serve to justify emergency powers, not immigration law.
    "The entire purpose of ICE is to manufacture a violent insurgency against the American government so Trump can be justified in invoking the Insurrection Act..." – Wes Siler [34:41]
  • Discusses the far-right playbook of demonizing vulnerable groups to trigger overreactions and power grabs. "Fascist regimes collect power by villainizing the weakest members of society...and by inspiring violence against them..." – Wes Siler [36:35]

• Media, Convenience, and Societal Responsibility

  • The loss of privacy and autonomy traded for convenience and the importance of ordinary people (not just career politicians) participating in the system.

4. Automotive Talk, Consumer Advice, and Notable Opinions

• Choosing Tow Vehicles, Trucks, and SUVs

  • Long debate between Matt and Wes about appropriate tow vehicle sizes, hybrid SUVs, and Super Duty trucks.
    "Towing is so sketchy with a car it's not designed to tow... try to double your tow vehicle capacity." – Wes Siler [32:18]
  • Strong opinions about the best and worst modern SUVs. "[Cayennes are] easily the worst car I’ve ever owned... ugly, impossible to maintain, can’t see out of them." – Wes Siler [28:16]

• Policy: Section 179 Tax Loophole

  • Proposes eliminating Section 179 as the simplest way to reduce unnecessary heavy vehicle sales. "The simple answer... is to eliminate Section 179." – Wes Siler [45:48] "If we eliminate that, and it's just fair market, they'll buy something more fuel efficient, something lighter." – Wes Siler [47:03]

• Conservationists and Car People: Can We Get Along?

  • Rejects the notion of inevitable conflict, pointing out most enthusiasts care about conservation out of necessity and love for the outdoors. "We're all in the middle happy ground already… All of us care about this stuff." – Wes Siler [59:48]

Notable Quotes

• On Journalism:
  • “The problem with being good at journalism is that often being good at journalism is bad for business if it is a business that is oppositional to journalism.” – Wes Siler [04:17]
• On Public Land:
  • “That’s a set aside for all of us. And it gives us a really unique, really democratic access to the outdoors.” – Wes Siler [18:31]
• On Policy Attacks:
  • “What’s happening right now is trying to break that system in favor of just really, really short-term profit.” – Wes Siler [21:19]
• On Section 179:
  • “The reason why every housewife in Dallas drives a G-wagon... section 179. You eliminate that, you eliminate any incentive there is to buy that class.” – Wes Siler [47:09]
• On Conservation and Enthusiasm:
  • “I own two 10 mile per gallon trucks because I like going outdoors… you can’t fully experience the outdoors the way I want... All of us are hopefully good people that want to see other people succeed. What more is there?” – Wes Siler [59:48]

Listener Q&A Highlights

- Outdoor Destinations in the Northeast [39:26]

Wes recommends Maine for outdoor activities and the ONX Offroad app for mapping public access.

- UTV Safety Advice [47:52]

“UTVs are so capable… they essentially exist to kill bachelor party members. I would just advise you, not to consume alcohol, go slow, wear a helmet, wear eye protection. And recognize your limits.” – Wes Siler

- The Weight Tax & Vehicle Policy [45:06–47:34]

Siler advocates for eliminating Section 179 rather than complicated fuel or weight taxes to reduce gratuitous heavy vehicle use.

- Automotive Nostalgia and Recommendations

• First cars (’69 Morris Minor 1000), best crossovers (1st-gen Lexus RX), and strong support for the use of electronic traction aids in modern vehicles.

- Public Lands and Political Threats [54:02]

“He (Trump) has an express plan that’s seven steps long that has been articulated...we are on step five.” – Wes Siler

Memorable Moments

• Hilarious Cayenne-bashing and towing debates between Matt and Wes, with practical and impractical advice.
• Eye-opening mini-lecture on historical creation and management of public lands [16:56–19:19].
• Sobering assessment of how policy pivots can devastate conservation achievements within a single administration [54:02–56:37].
• Wes describing the real, discouraging nature of local politics—low pay, no perks, lots of hostility.

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:34] – Getting fired from Outside Magazine by "tech bro" owners
• [06:21] – How Wes was recruited to run for Montana state senate
• [16:56] – Primer on public lands: American uniqueness and function
• [20:47] – Current threats: extraction, exploitation, and breaking the ‘sustained yield’ model
• [24:04] – The largest backslide in public lands protection history
• [34:09] – Analysis of ICE, civil unrest, and political motives
• [39:26] – Northeast outdoor destinations
• [45:06] – Section 179, tax codes, and incentives for heavy vehicles
• [47:52] – UTV/bachelor party safety
• [54:02] – Project 2025/Public lands policy threat overview
• [59:48] – Conservationist vs. car person: middle ground?

Tone & Takeaway

The tone is candid, irreverent, and world-weary—but ultimately constructive and passionate about both cars and conservation. Both hosts and guest champion critical thought, public engagement, and resisting false binaries between fun, consumption, and stewardship.

Links:

• Wes Siler’s Substack
• Wes’s Campaign Website
• The Smoking Tire YouTube Channel

Summary prepared for listeners seeking a comprehensive, content-rich breakdown, including timestamps and directly attributed quotes.