The Landscape

Kate and Aaron are joined by Alan Zibel with Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group focused on the influence of big business in government, and Nichole Heil with the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, a watchdog group focused on bringing transparency and accountability to the private equity sector, to talk about a report they co-authored. The report, […] The post The problem with Wall Street getting into public lands drilling appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Ben Goldfarb discusses the impact of roads on wildlife, highlighting how roads shape our planet. He explores the evolution of wildlife crossings, the complex relationship between roads and wildlife, and the role of citizen science in road ecology.

Kate and Aaron are joined by pollster Lindsay Vermeyen, senior vice president at Benenson Strategy Group, and Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala to dig into the results of our 2023 Winning the West poll. Spoiler alert: Western voters really love public lands, and they want to see them protected. Kate and Aaron […] The post Digging into our 2023 Winning the West poll results appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Aaron and Kate are joined by I Ling Thompson, vice president of strategy and engagement at the Trust for Public Land, to discuss a new report from the Trust called the Power of Parks to Promote Health. The report looks at the myriad ways urban parks improve human and environmental health, as well as how […] The post How urban parks improve public health appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Guests from the Havasupai Tribe share their deep cultural ties to the Grand Canyon and the urgent need to protect its surroundings. They discuss the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument, aimed at preserving their ancestral lands amid environmental threats like uranium mining. With personal stories interwoven, they highlight the spiritual significance of sites like Red Butte and emphasize the importance of tribal collaboration in safeguarding vital water sources for future generations.

The Bureau of Land Management just proposed a rule that would essentially codify the oil and gas reforms in the Inflation Reduction Act as well as make a few other important changes to the federal leasing program. The proposed rule would fundamentally change the way oil and gas leasing occurs on public lands, putting the […] The post New oil and gas rule just dropped. What’s in it? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Lori Faeth, senior director of government relations at the Land Trust Alliance, shares her expertise on the Farm Bill and its crucial role in private land conservation. She discusses how the Farm Bill stands as the largest federal funding source for these initiatives. Lori highlights the importance of conservation easements in preserving farmland while keeping it within landowners' hands. The conversation also touches on the vital lobbying efforts to ensure conservation remains a priority in legislation and the continuing challenges faced by advocates in the political landscape.

Kate and Aaron are joined by Dr. Dominick DellaSala, Chief Scientist at Wild Heritage, a project of the Earth Island Institute, to talk about the Biden administration’s efforts to protect old growth and mature forests. They also touch on reducing wildfire risk through forest management. Dr. DellaSala is the author of over 300 science papers […] The post What’s going on with old growth forests? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Kate and Aaron are joined by James Kenna, a 40-year Interior Department veteran who wore a number of hats over his decades of public service, including a stint as the California state director at Bureau of Land Management. That gave him a front row seat to land management decisions that would shape America’s energy future. […] The post A BLM veteran weighs in on the agency’s proposed conservation leasing rule appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

The podcast discusses the legacy of former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall, including his impact on civil rights, conservation efforts, and advocacy for downwinders and uranium miners. It explores his bipartisan successes, climate advocacy, and ability to bridge political divides, highlighting the significance of his conservation work.