The Wild Idea

Dr. William Keeton: Carbon, Complexity, and the Future of Old Growth

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:00:00 -0600

Dr. William Keeton is a forest ecologist and silviculturalist at the University of Vermont who has spent most of his career studying old-growth forests in the eastern United States and around the world. In this conversation, he joins hosts Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds to examine what old growth actually is, where it still exists in the East, and why its fate matters for climate, biodiversity, and the landscapes future generations will inherit.

The episode opens with a deceptively simple question: what is an old-growth forest? Keeton explains that old growth is not a fixed condition but a stage of forest development characterized by structural complexity, habitat diversity, and a suite of ecological functions including carbon storage, hydrologic regulation, and biodiversity support. He pushes back on the assumption that eastern forests have nothing to offer compared to towering Pacific Northwest Douglas firs or coastal redwoods, walking through the surprising inventory findings of the past few decades that reveal far more old growth in the eastern United States than was previously believed, from the Adirondacks of upstate New York to the Southern Appalachians and the longleaf pine systems of the Gulf Coast. The conversation also takes the listener below the surface, into the soil, where Keeton discusses the growing understanding of mycorrhizal fungi networks, deep soil carbon, and why a recent study found Swedish old-growth forests store eighty-three percent more carbon than middle-aged forests, with most of that difference buried underground.

For listeners who care about public lands, forest policy, and the long arc of ecological recovery, this is a conversation that connects the science to the stakes with rare clarity. Find out more about the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: U.S. Forest Service Overhaul, Interior Aims to Drill Chaco Canyon, Protections for Rice's Whale Lifted

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 07:45:00 -0600

This week on The Wild Line, we're tracking a proposed reorganization of the U.S. Forest Service, a sweeping Endangered Species Act exemption for Gulf of Mexico oil and gas operations, a court ruling against the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan, a public scoping period threatening Chaco Culture National Historical Park, commercial fishing access in Pacific Marine National Monuments, and a rare wave of conservation wins from San Francisco Bay to Arkansas. From federal agency restructuring to bedrock wildlife law, these stories define the stakes for public lands in 2026.

Learn more and find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Past, Present and Future of The Roadless Rule

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0600

In this special episode, The Wild Idea brings its recent public webinar directly to podcast listeners. Join a high-powered panel of scientists, attorneys, policy veterans, and conservation advocates to examine one of the most consequential federal land protection policies in American history: the 2001 Roadless Rule. The rule has shielded 58.5 million acres of largely intact national forest land from new road construction and most commercial timber harvest for more than two decades, and it now faces a proposed rescission by the current administration.

The conversation opens with Mike Dombeck, the former Forest Service chief who oversaw the rule’s development, tracing the road system’s explosive post-World War II growth and the maintenance crisis that made the moratorium on new road construction both necessary and politically viable. From there, the panel moves through the science of wildfire ignitions near roads, the rule’s flexibility for forest health treatments, the economic value of roadless areas to outdoor recreation, and the water supply those landscapes provide to more than 60 million Americans. Monte Mills and Martin Nie bring legal and policy depth to questions of tribal consultation, indigenous land rights, and the gaps that rescission would leave in existing forest plans. Vera Smith of Defenders of Wildlife walks listeners through two interactive mapping tools that illustrate which threatened and endangered species depend on roadless forests, region by region.

The episode closes with the full panel reflecting on what, if anything, could be improved in the rule, and how everyday people can make their voices heard before the draft environmental impact statement is finalized. The answer that emerges, again and again, is that the public support which gave this rule its unusual durability remains the most powerful tool available to those who want to see it preserved.

Learn more about today's episode and the resources mentioned at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: A Pipeline Executive Heads to Congress, SpaceX Eyes Refuge Land, and E&E News Loses a Quarter of Its Newsroom

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0600

This week on The Wild Line, we're tracking Oklahoma's new energy-executive senator, a congressional push to block wilderness at Big Cypress National Preserve, a proposed federal land swap with SpaceX in South Texas, and major staff cuts at E&E News. From Capitol Hill to the Lower Rio Grande Valley, these stories highlight the accelerating pressure on federal public lands and the institutions that cover them.

Get more details and the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Trust for Public Land: Why Every Child Deserves Green Time

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0600

In this episode, Bill and Anders sit down with two researchers and advocates who are reshaping how we think about nature and public health: Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, President and CEO of the Trust for Public Land, and Dr. Pooja Tandon, a pediatrician and researcher at Seattle Children's Hospital who also serves as a senior scientist with TPL. Together they bring a rare combination of policy reach and clinical grounding to one of the most urgent questions facing American families: how do we make sure every child has meaningful access to the outdoors?

The conversation raises a deeper question that runs throughout the episode: what does it mean to bring wild nature to people, rather than waiting for people to come to wild nature? With 100 million Americans living more than a ten-minute walk from a park, and with school yards representing 2 million acres of largely underused civic land, both guests make a persuasive case that the opportunity to change those numbers is already in front of us. The challenge is political will, funding, and the recognition that access to green space is a matter of public health equity.

Find out more about the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Congress Shields Lead Ammo, ESA Exemptions on the Table, and a Georgia Seashore Fight

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 08:15:00 -0600

This week on The Wild Line, we're tracking Congress's move to block federal lead ammunition and tackle regulations, the first convening of the Endangered Species Act's God Squad in over 30 years, a public lands crossroads symposium in Salt Lake City, and a contested land swap at Cumberland Island National Seashore. From wildlife toxicology to oil and gas exemptions on federal waters, these stories define the current frontlines of public lands policy.

Find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Tim Mahoney: The Irish Wilderness and the Art of Passing a Bill

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0600

Tim Mahoney has spent five decades navigating the corridors of Congress on behalf of wild places. A veteran of The Wilderness Society, the Sierra Club, and the Pew Charitable Trusts, he is one of the most experienced wilderness lobbyists of his generation. In this special St. Patrick’s Day episode, co-hosts Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds sit down with the man Anders credits as his political mentor to trace the arc of a career built on the belief that the strongest protection you can give land is to protect it in law.

The centerpiece of the conversation is the Irish Wilderness in Missouri’s Mark Twain National Forest, designated by Congress in 1984. Mahoney walks through the full legislative history of that campaign: the bipartisan coalitions and back-room alliances, the opposition from the mining industry, the procedural losses in the House, the creative use of appropriations riders to forestall mineral leasing, and the formal conference committee that ultimately split the difference on acreage.

Mahoney does not pretend to know what the next twenty years will bring, but he is clear on what he values: the skills required to pass wilderness legislation, the willingness to work across deep ideological divides, and the humility to take a partial win over a virtuous defeat. His parting challenge to a new generation of advocates is as practical as it is pointed.

Learn more about today's conversation at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Oil Drilling in Alaska’s Arctic Refuge, California Pipeline Restart, Scientists Release Suppressed Nature Report

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 08:00:00 -0600

This week on The Wild Line: the federal government advances twin lease sale plans in Alaska’s Arctic Refuge and Western Arctic, the Department of Interior finalizes revised NEPA procedures, the Trump Administration moves to restart a spill-prone California pipeline, and a slate of state-level public lands stories from Virginia, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, and British Columbia. The independently released Nature Record warns of cascading consequences from continued environmental degradation.

Listen to the full episode for context, commentary, and what to watch next. Find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Terry Tempest Williams: Wildness, Ancestors, and the Holy Ordinary

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0600

Terry Tempest Williams is a writer, conservationist, and longtime voice for wild lands whose work bridges story, spirit, and public life. In this conversation, she joins Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds to reflect on her newest book, The Glorians: Visitations from the Holy Ordinary, and to explore what it means to remain present in a time marked by ecological crisis, political strain, and personal loss.

Rather than offering easy optimism, Terry reframes hope as something active, something rooted in engagement. Drawing on experiences from the pandemic, her advocacy for the Great Salt Lake, the fight for Bears Ears, and life in Castle Valley, Utah, she speaks about neighbors, ritual, ancestors, and the importance of local love. In a moment when outrage dominates public discourse, Terry invites us back to attention, reciprocity, and the discipline of presence.

Learn more and find the links and resources mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Border Wall through Big Bend, Proposed Forest Service Prescribed Fire in Wilderness, Montana Political Moves Impacting Public Lands

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0700

This week on The Wild Line, we're tracking House Natural Resources Committee approvals on sequoia stewardship and scenic trail designation, tensions over the farm bill's nutrition title and conservation programs, Trump administration moves on public lands leadership, Montana political shifts affecting conservation policy, border wall threats to Big Bend National Park, prescribed burn controversies in Illinois wilderness, and efforts to overturn the Grand Staircase-Escalante management plan. From shifting congressional priorities to landscape-level threats, these stories highlight the accelerating pace of federal public lands policy in 2026.

Find out more and access links and resources from today's conversation at our website, thewildidea.com.

Cole Mannix: Working Land Stewardship and Food Systems

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0700

In this milestone 50th episode of The Wild Idea, Bill and Anders sit down in Helena, Montana, with rancher and entrepreneur Cole Mannix to explore the intersection of land stewardship, regenerative agriculture, and food system reform. Cole is a founding member of the rancher-owned Old Salt Co-op, an ambitious effort to create an alternative marketplace that reconnects producers, consumers, and landscapes across the American West.

The conversation moves from federal grazing leases and grizzly bear coexistence in the Gravelly Mountains to the structural consolidation of the American food system. Cole explains why less than two percent of the meat consumed in Montana is both raised and processed in-state, and how centralized processing, global supply chains, and economic consolidation have reshaped rural communities. Rather than simply marketing a different product, Old Salt aims to rebuild the shelf itself, redistributing economic value upstream to ranchers and land stewards.

They also discuss the Old Salt Festival, a growing annual gathering in the Blackfoot Valley that blends music, food, conservation dialogue, and working lands culture. At its core, this episode asks: What would a food system look like if it truly supported stewardship? How do we balance wild lands and working lands? And how can everyday choices help build a more resilient, place-based economy?

Find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: BLM Nominee Hearing, Alaska Land Rollback, Lesser Prairie Chicken Ruling, and Roadless Rule Update

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 07:45:00 -0700

This week on The Wild Line, we’re tracking the Senate confirmation hearing for Bureau of Land Management nominee Steve Pearce, a new Public Land Order revoking protections on 2.1 million acres in Alaska, federal changes to protections for the lesser prairie chicken, and a Vermont Supreme Court ruling on public trail access. From federal land oversight to wildlife policy and access rights, these stories highlight major shifts in public lands governance.

Find the links and resources from today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Lawsuit Seeks End to NPS Censorship, Proposed Management Changes to the Flathead, Comments Due for Cumberland Island VUMP

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 07:45:00 -0700

This week on The Wild Line, we’re tracking a lawsuit challenging alleged censorship within the National Park Service, looming federal water cuts on the Colorado River, debate over the stalled Farm Bill, proposed management changes to Montana’s Flathead River, and final public comments on a controversial visitor plan for Cumberland Island National Seashore.

Find out more about the stories covered today and how you can take action at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Trump Targets Northeast Marine Monument, USFS Reconsiders Public Comment, Illinois Rewilds

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0700

This week on The Wild Line: a key Senate vote on Boundary Waters mining protections is postponed, the Forest Service proposes limits on public comment, and the Trump administration rolls back protections at a major Atlantic marine monument. We also cover a National Park Service nomination, federal public lands legislation, and new state action in Oregon and Illinois.

Learn more about today's stories and how you can take action at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Drilling Process Opens for ANWR, States Debate Colorado Basin Water Rights, Washington Post Slashes Climate Coverage

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 07:45:00 -0700

On this week’s Wild Line, we cover major developments in federal public lands policy, intensifying negotiations over the Colorado River, the Trump administration’s renewed push for oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the rollback of climate journalism at the Washington Post. We also share timely opportunities for public comment and mark the passing of a giant in the conservation movement.

Learn more about today's stories and how you can take action at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Tongass Old-Growth Logging Advances, Alabama Reconsiders Water Quality, NPS Removes Signage Nationwide

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0700

This week on The Wild Line, we cover major developments affecting public lands, national forests, tribal sovereignty, water protections, national parks, and conservation policy—plus what to watch in Congress in the coming days.

Learn more about today's stories and how you can take action at our website, thewildidea.com.

Andrew Thoms: The Tongass - America's Largest National Forest and a Key Roadless Landscape

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 04:00:00 -0700

As The Wild Idea concludes Roadless Month, hosts Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds turn their attention north — to Southeast Alaska and the Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in the United States and the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest.

Covering nearly 17 million acres, the Tongass has become a focal point in national debates over old-growth logging, climate resilience, rural economies, and the future of the Roadless Rule. Joining the conversation is Andrew Thoms, Executive Director of Sitka Conservation Society, who brings decades of experience working at the intersection of community, conservation, and economic transition in Southeast Alaska.

Learn more about today's conversation and find the links and resources mentioned at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Could the Boundary Waters be Mined? Could Utah be Paved? Could Burgum end Bison Grazing?

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 08:45:00 -0700

This week’s Wild Line tracks a fast-moving series of decisions on Capitol Hill and inside federal agencies that could reshape protections for wilderness, public lands, and conservation efforts nationwide. Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds cover the House vote targeting the Boundary Waters, contentious testimony around the EXPLORE Act, Interior Department actions affecting grazing and bison restoration in Montana, and a long-stalled highway project approved inside a National Conservation Area.

For more information on the stories discussed today, visit our website at thewildidea.com.

Peter Metcalf and Terry Tatsey: Blackfeet Nation Stewardship and a Living Landscape in the Badger–Two Medicine

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 04:00:00 -0700

As The Wild Idea continues Roadless Month, hosts Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds turn their focus to one of the most culturally and ecologically significant landscapes in Montana: the Badger–Two Medicine. Situated along the Rocky Mountain Front, just south of Glacier National Park, the Badger–Two Medicine is a place where roadless protection, wildlife habitat, and deep Indigenous responsibility converge. Joining the conversation are Terry Tatsey, a member of the Blackfeet Nation with lifelong ties to the Badger–Two Medicine, and Peter Metcalf, Executive Director of the Glacier–Two Medicine Alliance. Together, they explore why this landscape matters, how decades of advocacy successfully ended oil and gas leasing in 2023, and what is now at stake as the U.S. Department of Agriculture considers rescinding the Roadless Rule.

For more information about the topics discussed today, visit our website at thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Boundary Waters Under Threat (Again), Cumberland Islands Considers Visitor Use, 25 Years of the Roadless Rule

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0700

This week’s Wild Line covers a sweeping set of developments across federal land policy, wildfire response, public access, environmental regulation, and conservation funding — from Capitol Hill maneuvering that threatens the Boundary Waters, to Interior Department shakeups, EPA rulemaking decisions, and the 25th anniversary of the Roadless Rule.

Find out more about today's episode and how you can take action in support of your public lands at thewildidea.com.

Bjorn Fredrickson & Raul Turrieta: The Roadless History of the World's First Designated Wilderness

Wild Idea Media — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 04:00:00 -0700

As The Wild Idea continues Roadless Month, hosts Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds bring the conversation to the birthplace of the modern wilderness idea: the Gila Wilderness in southwest New Mexico. Designated administratively in 1924, the Gila was the first government-protected wilderness in the world, shaping conservation policy decades before the Wilderness Act and influencing how Americans understand wild, roadless land today.

Joining the conversation are Bjorn Fredrickson, Conservation Director of New Mexico Wild, and Raul Turrieta, Deputy Chief Assessor for Grant County and longtime Gila neighbor. Together, they explore why the Gila was chosen as the world’s first wilderness, how its roadless character continues to define both the landscape and the surrounding communities, and why it remains central to today’s debates over the Roadless Rule.

Learn more about today's conversation and join us all month long for Roadless Month at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Logging Threatens Montana's Wild Rivers, Colorado Finds a Solution to Sackett

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0700

This week, Congress returned to Washington and immediately released draft versions of several major FY26 funding bills affecting public lands, wildlife, wildfire management, and conservation programs across the federal government. We explore what's at stake. We also track renewed congressional efforts to advance the Fix Our Forests Act, unpack a tragic and rare fatal mountain lion attack in Colorado, and examine how states are stepping in to protect wetlands and waterways after the Supreme Court’s rollback of Clean Water Act protections.

Find out more about today's episode and how you can take action in support of your public lands at thewildidea.com.

Kristin Gendzier: The Roadless Rule's Southern Roots

Wild Idea Media — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 04:00:00 -0700

January is Roadless Month on The Wild Idea. Throughout the month, we’re exploring the landscapes, communities, and ideas shaped by America’s roadless public lands — and what’s at stake as these protections face renewed threats.

Today, Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds are joined by Kristin Gendzier of the Southern Environmental Law Center to dive into discussion of what the Roadless Rule is, how it protects national forest roadless areas, and why it matters now. Kristin brings a distinctly Southern Appalachian perspective to the conversation, weaving together policy history, personal experience, and the lived reality of communities surrounded by roadless areas. From drinking water and wildlife habitat to recreation and rural economies, she explains how these landscapes quietly support millions of people — often without them realizing it.

The discussion also addresses the rule’s turbulent legal and political history, common misconceptions about wildfire and forest management, and the renewed threat posed by efforts to rescind the rule entirely. Rather than framing the moment solely as a crisis, the episode emphasizes public participation, collective responsibility, and the generational importance of protecting these lands.

Learn more about today's episode, Roadless Month, and learn how you can advocate for your public lands at our website, thewildidea.com.

Chris Wood: Why We Have The Roadless Rule (Redux)

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 04:00:00 -0700

In this special remastered conversation, The Wild Idea revisits a timely and essential discussion about one of America’s most important conservation tools: the Roadless Rule. As the rule approaches its 25th anniversary, hosts Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds reintroduce listeners to Chris Wood, President and CEO of Trout Unlimited and one of the primary architects of the original 2001 Roadless Rule. This conversation offers critical context for understanding what’s at stake today and serves as a reminder that America’s public lands belong to all of us. This conversation kicks off Roadless Month on The Wild Idea, setting the stage for stories from across the country about the landscapes, communities, and cultures shaped by roadless public lands.

Learn more about the Roadless Rule and the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Michelle Fullner: Setting Resolutions with the Host of the Golden State Naturalist Podcast

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 04:00:00 -0700

As the year comes to a close, Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds are joined by Michelle Fullner, host of the Golden State Naturalist podcast, for a reflective and wide-ranging conversation about growth, attention, storytelling, and intention. Listen in for a thoughtful meditation on why the stories we tell matter, how we show up for them, and what it means to move forward with intention in an uncertain time.

Learn more about today's conversation and find links and resources from this conversation at our website, thewildidea.com.

Sarah Francisco: From Working Lands to Wild Lands in the Southern Appalachians

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 04:10:00 -0700

Sarah Francisco, Virginia State Director of the Southern Environmental Law Center, joins Anders and Bill for a wide-ranging conversation about place, promise, and the long arc of public lands conservation in the southern Appalachians. Growing up on a Christmas tree farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley gave Sarah an early understanding of how deeply people’s lives are tied to land — both the challenges of working landscapes and the deep affection they inspire.

Learn more about Sarah and the topics discussed today at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: House Passes SPEED Act, New Threats Emerge to Endangered Species, and States Move on Water Quality and Roadless Protections

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0700

This week’s Wild Line covers House passage of the SPEED Act and its implications for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a slate of wildfire and public lands bills advancing in the Senate, a serious new threat to the National Park System, sweeping rollbacks to the Endangered Species Act, mounting impacts from Forest Service staffing cuts, changes to water quality protections in Montana, and growing concern over efforts to rescind the Roadless Rule.

Learn more about the topics discussed today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Anne Robinson: "Good News" Returns With Good Tidings

Wild Idea Media — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 04:00:00 -0700

Anne Robinson returns to The Wild Idea after completing her seven-month through hike of the Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to the summit of Katahdin. Picking up where we left off at the halfway point in Harpers Ferry, Anne reflects on what the second half of the trail revealed — about endurance, fear, community, and the layered human stories embedded in places many of us think of as “wild.”

If you missed our first conversation with Anne, you'll find that right here. And for more from today's conversation, visit our website at thewildidea.com.

Martha Williams: The Long Term View on Species Recovery

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 04:00:00 -0700

Martha Williams, former Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, joins us for a grounded conversation about what it really takes to care for wildlife over time. Drawing on decades of experience at both the state and federal level, Martha talks about stewardship, coexistence, and the responsibility that comes with living alongside wild species.

We dig into how the Endangered Species Act fits into that bigger picture, and why so much energy gets pulled into debates over listing and delisting instead of focusing on recovery. Martha shares why habitat, science, and long-term thinking matter more than short-term wins, and how political swings can complicate the real work happening on the ground.

Find out more about Martha and the other resources and links mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Tribal Recognition in NC, Park Service Policy Shifts, Forest Service HQ to Utah?

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0700

This week’s Wild Line covers Congress’ work on the National Defense Authorization Act, new House actions to weaken the Clean Water Act, a broad Senate hearing on National Park Service and Wild and Scenic River bills, major shifts at the National Park Service and Forest Service, housing proposals in Wyoming, and a federal ruling restoring the nation’s renewable wind program.

For more information on the topics covered today, visit our website at thewildidea.com.

Chris Eyer: Muledragger

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 04:00:00 -0700

Wilderness packer and saddle maker Chris Eyer joins us for the first time, and it feels like talking with a friend who lives right up against the wild edge of Montana. Chris walks us through the places that shaped him and how he found his way from Southern California trail work to a life built around horses, mules, and the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

We also get into what it’s like to bring people into the backcountry for the first time. Chris opens up about the pressures facing public lands and why these places feel so important to protect. And he talks about the reset that happens when you step away from the noise and spend real time in the woods.

It’s an easy, grounded conversation with someone who carries a deep connection to the places he loves.

Find out more about Chris and the other resources and links mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Forest Service Reverses Recommendations, NPS Increases Fees, Montana Stands Against Mining

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 08:15:00 -0700

This week’s Wild Line covers a sweeping Senate hearing on 26 public lands and wildfire bills, a significant vote affecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, new moves by the Forest Service on roadless protections and off-highway vehicle rules, fee increases in national parks, and a major milestone for the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Learn more and access the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com

Ben Goldfarb: Paving Paradise - How Roads Reshape the Wild

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 04:00:00 -0700

Environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb joins us for a wide-open conversation about how roads shape wildlife, ecosystems, and the public lands we depend on. Ben breaks down the stuff most of us never think about, like how tire dust kills salmon or how road noise stresses out songbirds. He also shares what pulled him into road ecology in the first place and how he tells big, complicated stories in a way that still leaves you feeling hopeful.

We get into his two books, Eager and Crossings, and why beavers, of all creatures, might be some of the most important engineers on the landscape. From amphibian migrations to the Forest Service’s long road-building history, Ben gives us a smarter, more curious way to look at the places we love.

Learn more and find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Grounded In Traditions

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 04:00:00 -0700

This week ushers in “The Holidays”, the time of year that chaos and connection reign supreme. Thanksgiving is complicated, especially for Native communities, and the usual “we’re grateful for…” story never feels like the whole picture. So we decided to do something that felt more honest. We reached out to friends and asked them to tell us about the moments they return to every year, the ones that ground them in place and bring them closer to the people they love.

We hope you enjoy these stories as much as we did. They made us think about the things that hold us steady during a loud season, and what we actually want to carry forward. What places pull you back, the small rituals help you feel connected. That’s what this episode is about.

Learn more and find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Trump Puts Wetlands and Wildlife at Risk, Congress Takes Step to Stymie Environmental Review

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 06:20:28 -0700

This week’s Wild Line covers two House votes aimed at rolling back major protections in Alaska, key hearings in both chambers of Congress, and new bipartisan action on wildlife migration. We also follow leadership changes inside federal agencies, the newest member joining the House Natural Resources Committee, and a significant wetlands rollback announced by the Trump Administration.

Learn more and access the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com

American Prairie, Part Two - A Wilder Future

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 04:00:00 -0700

In this second half of our American Prairie series, we sit down with CEO Alison Fox and Director of Rewilding Danny Kinka to look at what the project has become and where it’s headed. Allie talks about how American Prairie has grown into a 600,000-acre public access landscape with a bison herd now twenty years in, a thriving field school for Montana students, and a team focused on everything from habitat restoration to community partnerships. Danny walks us through what rewilding looks like on the ground, from the return of key species to the human work of building social tolerance for wildlife.

Learn more about today's episode and find the links and resources mentioned at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Shutdown Ends, Oil Companies Exploit Texas and Alaska, Colorado Prioritizes Protection

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 08:44:35 -0700

This week’s Wild Line looks at the end of the shutdown, what the new continuing resolution means for public lands and civil servants, and how Congress is lining up for a busy set of hearings next week. We follow new pressure on the Public Lands Rule, a withdrawn National Park Service nomination, the latest turns in the Colorado River negotiations, and reactions to a federal move that sidelines tribal approval on hydroelectric projects. We also cover Chevron’s major energy plans in West Texas, new proposed activity in the Western Arctic, and a report highlighting key Colorado landscapes ready for lasting protection.

Learn more and access the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com

American Prairie, Part One - Wild on Purpose

Wild Idea Media — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 04:00:00 -0700

In this first of a two-part conversation about American Prairie, we talk with founder Sean Gerrity about what inspired him to take on one of the largest conservation projects in North America. Sean shares how a lifetime spent outdoors and a background in business led him to the idea of rewilding millions of acres of Montana grasslands. He talks about what it’s like to earn trust in ranching country, how he approaches relationships with tribal nations, and why he calls himself a “possibilist” rather than an optimist. For Sean, this work has always been about connection between people, between ecosystems, and between past and future.

Learn more about today's episode and find the links and resources mentioned at our website, thewildidea.com.

Malcolm Brooks: The Fallout from Ballot Box Biology

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 04:00:00 -0700

Author Malcolm Brooks joins us for a conversation that moves from the landscapes that shaped his fiction to the messy realities of modern wildlife management. We ask how he views landscapes as part of his storytelling, and then move on to the story that he has been tracing since the predatory mountain lion attack on his nephews, and the California wildlife policy shifts that possibly set the stage for it. We wrap by diving into his latest subject - Butte America!

Learn more about today's episode and find the links and resources mentioned at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Hirings, Firings and Protected Climbing Access

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 05:46:25 -0700

This week’s Wild Line highlights the impacts of the ongoing shutdown on public lands and civil servants. We share the latest on uncertainty over backpay and high-profile firings and hirings in the conservation world, federal progress on wetlands protection, and concerning efforts to roll back protections in Chaco Canyon and allow chainsaws in wilderness areas. We look at the latest nomination to run the Bureau of Land Management, and close with a win for climbing access in North Carolina.

Learn more and find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Frank Uekötter: Red Lines in Green Politics | Moral Lessons in Conservation History

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 04:00:00 -0700

Environmental historian Frank Uekötter joins Bill and Anders for a thought-provoking conversation about how good intentions and bad systems can collide, and what history can teach us about the moral boundaries of environmental action. Uekötter’s work, including The Vortex and The Green and the Brown, explores how modern environmentalism took shape in the twentieth century and how ideals of nature and progress became entangled with politics, ideology, and power. Together, they step back from today’s headlines to ask what happens when noble causes lose sight of their context, and how well-meaning people can drift into compromise when conviction overrides reflection.

Find out more and access the links and resources mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Senators Talk Stewardship, Ranchers Eye Point Reyes, Absaroka-Beartooth Avoids Poison

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 07:14:03 -0600

This week’s Wild Line opens with a federal court order that halts layoffs at the Department of the Interior during the shutdown. In Washington, Senators launched a new bipartisan Senate Stewardship Caucus. House Democrats challenged Interior and USDA over shutdown decisions that favor extractive industries even as critical safety work is left to skeleton crews. Federal agencies announced new funding for Western migration corridors, and legal and political pressure reignited the debate over cattle grazing at Point Reyes. The episode also covers the push to rescind the BLM Public Lands Rule, the return of the Albert Pike statue and recent bear attacks in Arkansas, and a series of court rulings and political fights in Montana over trout, timber, grizzlies, bison, and American Prairie’s grazing rights.

Learn more and find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Barret Baumgart: The Desert is a Haunted House

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Author and essayist Barret Baumgart joins Bill and Anders for a Halloween special that leans into the stranger side of wild nature. His latest book, Yuck: The Birth and Death of the Weird and Wondrous Joshua Tree, explores how this desert icon went from being despised as grotesque and “demonic” to adored as a backdrop for modern desert dreams. In a conversation that ranges from natural history to horror, they dig into what the Joshua Tree reveals about human nature, the stories we project onto wild places, and the uneasy line between wonder and fear.

Find out more and access the links and resources mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Wilderness Bills Advance, Trump Approves Izembek Road, Outdoor Alliance Takes DC

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 07:13:35 -0600

This week’s Wild Line opens with new details on the ongoing federal shutdown, including Interior’s plan to cut more than 2,000 jobs across its agencies and furloughs at the Environmental Protection Agency. We look at a busy week on Capitol Hill, where the Senate advanced a package of wilderness bills and a controversial forest management proposal, while the House pressed for restoration of Stonewall National Monument’s LGBTQ+ history. We also cover deregulatory moves inside the White House, a major land acquisition in North Carolina, leadership news from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and the Supreme Court’s decision on corner-crossing. From Alaska, we report on new resolutions from the Alaska Federation of Natives and breaking developments on the Izembek road and Arctic Refuge drilling. Plus, the Outdoor Alliance takes its work to Capitol Hill.

Learn more and find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Christopher Preston: Tenacious Beasts

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Award-winning author, environmental philosopher, and clean energy enthusiast Christopher Preston joins Bill and Anders to discuss his book Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries That Change How We Think About Animals. He shares stories of wolves, whales, and beavers making remarkable comebacks, offering a hopeful look at what can happen when we give nature room to recover and thrive.

Together they explore ideas of rewilding, animal agency, and the ethics of when and how humans should intervene, or simply step back and watch the wild world flourish. The conversation weaves in lessons from Europe’s rewilding movement, Indigenous perspectives that resonate with modern conservation, and how compassion and curiosity can guide better care for the natural world.

Find out more and access the links and resources mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Shutdown Chaos, Arctic Flooding, Pigeon River Restoration

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 06:55:15 -0600

This week’s Wild Line opens with a look at the 17-day-old federal shutdown and its ripple effects across the public lands workforce, from widespread layoffs to the potential loss of recreation-driven economies. We share highlights from the Rocky Mountain Wilderness Gathering in Colorado, explore the latest developments in energy and climate policy, and report from Alaska where two Arctic villages have suffered devastating flood damage. We also cover new Congressional Review Act rollbacks, a rejected coal lease bid in the Powder River Basin, renewed litigation to save Columbia River salmon, forest recovery in the wake of Hurricane Helene, and a public lands storytelling project preserving the signs of our shared history.

Learn more about the topics discussed today and find links and resources mentioned at our website, thewildidea.com.

Rachel Franchina: The People Powering Public Lands

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Rachel Franchina, Executive Director of the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals, joins Bill and Anders for a conversation about leadership, resilience, and the people behind America’s favorite wild places. Together they look at what it means to build a healthy and sustainable recreation workforce in a time of shrinking budgets, early retirements, and record visitation. The conversation also explores how climate change is reshaping recreation design, how career pathways can evolve to attract and retain new generations, and how joy, community, and shared purpose keep people in the work even when resources are scarce. It’s a grounded, hopeful look at the future of the profession that keeps us all outdoors.

Learn more and access the links and resourced mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Ambler Road Approved, Resource Plans Nixed and Shutdown Fallout Deepens

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 06:21:39 -0600

This week’s Wild Line begins with the President’s decision to greenlight construction of the Ambler Road through the heart of northwestern Alaska, a move that’s drawn fierce opposition from tribal and conservation groups. We also cover new developments in Congress affecting millions of acres of BLM lands in Montana and North Dakota, and legislation that would expand border patrol operations inside wilderness areas. Plus: setbacks in federal wildfire mitigation, the creation of a new Wildland Fire Service, changes to NEPA guidance, major EPA funding cuts, and state and local conservation news from Wyoming, West Virginia, Maine, Florida, and California. Finally, a Nobel Prize story that started deep in Montana’s backcountry.

Learn more and find the links and resources mentioned in today's episode at thewildidea.com

Joel Gill: Creation Care and the Common Good

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Faith, land, and stewardship come together in this episode with Joel Gill, Executive Director of Ferncliff, a 1,200-acre camp and conference center outside Little Rock, Arkansas. Joel joins Bill and Anders for a thoughtful conversation about creation care, a faith-based approach to conservation that blends theology, ecology, and the everyday choices we make to care for the land and for one another.

Learn more and find the links and resources from today's episode at thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: The Government Shuts Down and a New Fat Bear Champion is Crowned

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 06:00:00 -0600

This week’s we dig into the government shutdown, which left thousands of federal workers in limbo and forced Interior to furlough half its staff, straining National Parks, gateway communities, and local economies. We report on the agency and Congressional actions impacting wild places, and share some good news from Oregon, Alaska, and South Carolina. We also highlight the winner of Fat Bear Week.

Learn more about the resources and news mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

Chris Keyes: Why Public Lands Need RE:PUBLIC

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Journalist Chris Keyes, former Editor in Chief at Outside magazine and now the founder of RE:PUBLIC, a nonprofit newsroom focused entirely on public lands, joins Bill and Anders for this episode of The Wild Idea. Chris talks about what pushed him to start something new, why independent reporting matters, and how RE:PUBLIC is stepping in to tell the stories that often get overlooked about the 600 million acres of land we all share.

Find out more in the show notes at thewildidea.com

The Wild Line: Senate Approves Nominees, NPS Erases History, Blue Ridge Parkway Reopens

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 07:04:17 -0600

This week Bill and Anders cover a range of land news, from Congress using the 'nuclear option' to approve Trump nominees for Interior to Climate Week updates from New York City. We are offered a preview of a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing scheduled for next week from friend of the pod, Susan Jane Brown, and we check in on the Forest Service Roadless Rule Recission process. All this and much more in under 15 minutes.

Learn more about the resources and news mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

Senator Tina Smith: You Can't Underestimate the Power of Place

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0600

This special episode marks our first live recording, in partnership with the National Wilderness Coalition during National Wilderness Week in Washington, DC. Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota joined us to talk about the Boundary Waters, a place she calls one of her favorites on earth. She shares how the wilderness shaped her family’s story, why it’s a national treasure, and how being there offers restoration and a deeper connection to history and place.

Find more details and links for this episode at thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Advocates on the Hill, Last Day for Roadless Comments

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0600

This week’s Wild Line comes to you from Washington, DC, where wilderness advocates, recreation leaders, and conservationists gathered for the National Wilderness Coalition’s annual advocacy week. While citizens called for stronger protections, lawmakers pushed new mining bills, a permitting reform framework, and record-setting oil and gas leasing. We also cover the administration’s latest moves on climate reporting, Canada’s pivot toward fossil fuels, and a proposed U.S. Wildland Fire Service.

Learn more and access the resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Conrad Anker: Mountains of Perspective

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0600

In this episode Bill and Anders talk with alpinist and conservation champion Conrad Anker about how his time in the mountains has brought him into the world of activism for people and place. We talk about seeing climate change in real time and how Conrad has worked to support the communities in Nepal. Yes - we talk a bit about mountain climbing and George Mallory too.

Learn more our guest, Conrad Anker, and the other resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com

The Wild Line: Chief Links Roadless Rule and Wildfire, BLM Joins the Rescission Party

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0600

This week on the Wild Line we cover testimony from the Chief of the Forest Service, where he attampts to link the popular Roadless Rule to wildfire risk. The Bureau of Land Management announces plans to rescind the Public Lands Rule which has given equal footing for conservation efforts to those held by industry, there were a number of hearings in DC on public land issues, and we celebrate an unsung hero of public lands - all in this episode of the Wild Line.

Learn more about the topics covered today and find the links and resources mentioned at our website, thewildidea.com.

Brooklyn Bridge Park: From Piers to Parklands

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0600

This week on The Wild Idea, Bill and Anders sit down with Rashid Poulson and Bella Ciabattoni, the horticulture leaders at Brooklyn Bridge Park, to talk about one of New York City’s most surprising wild spaces. What was once a stretch of abandoned shipping piers has become 85 acres of thriving wetlands, meadows, and woodlands along the East River, offering both locals and visitors a chance to reconnect with nature in the heart of the city. The conversation dives into what it takes to keep an urban waterfront alive with birdsong and tree canopy, from creative planting strategies to the value of having a dedicated team who knows the land season after season. At its heart, the story of Brooklyn Bridge Park is about more than plants; it is about people finding joy, curiosity, and connection in a place that feels both wild and welcoming.

Learn more about today's guests, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the other resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com

The Wild Line: Congress Targets Land Management Plans, EPA Silences Critics

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 08:25:14 -0600

This week on The Wild Line we cover congressional action to scrap resource management plans in three states, authorize the controversial Ambler Road project in Alaska, and to remove protections for the Mexican Gray Wolf. Over at EPA the agency fires employees critical of the Trump administration and the Department of Energy is taken to task by leading climate scientists. We also have Border Patrol arresting wildland firefighters and Scarlett Johansson chasing wolves away from cattle. These stories and more in under 15 minutes.

Learn more about the topics covered today and find the links and resources mentioned at our website, thewildidea.com.

Chris Hill: Community Power for Public Lands

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0600

In this episode Bill and Anders talk with Chris Hill, the CEO of the Conservation Lands Foundation. Chris highlights CLF's commitment to the National Conservation Lands System and the communities that adjoin these special areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management. They talk about the 25th anniversary of the Conservation Lands System, grass-roots cultivation and how to never forget why you got into the work in the first place.

Learn more and find the resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Labor Day: The Human Cost of Federal Cuts

Wild Idea Media — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0600

This Labor Day, we’re turning the spotlight on the people behind our public lands. In this bonus episode, Bill and Anders sit down with three former federal employees who thought they had found their dream jobs in service to the land and the public, only to have those jobs abruptly taken away.

Learn more and find the resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Refuge Expansion Stopped, Act Now To Save The Roadless Rule

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 07:13:53 -0600

This week on The Wild Line, we dig into major developments for America’s public lands. The USDA has extended the comment period on its controversial Forest Service reorganization plan. At the same time, Secretary Rollins has opened public comment on a move to rescind the Roadless Rule, threatening 45 million acres of backcountry lands. In Texas, plans to expand Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge have been abandoned, even as a court ruling weakens protections for the lesser prairie chicken. We also bring you updates from Montana’s Western Policy Caucus, the Alaska Oil and Gas Association meeting, new wildfire research in California, and a union vote among Yosemite rangers.

Learn more and find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Southern Currents: Environmental Injustice and Energy Innovation in Virginia

Wild Idea Media — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0600

How do we turn the scars of environmental injustice into real innovation for a healthier future? For the fourth part of our Southern Currents series, Bill talks with Josephus Allmond, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, about environmental justice and the push for fair energy solutions in Virginia.

Learn more and find the resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

Theodore Roosevelt IV: Americans for Alaska

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0600

In this episode, Bill and Anders sit down with Theodore Roosevelt IV, who they call Ted, to talk about Alaska, public lands, and what it means to carry forward a legacy of stewardship. From the North Slope to the Tongass, the conversation reveals a personal history in our 49th state with some critical policy and legislation data in the dialogue as well.

Find the resources and links mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

Southern Currents: Appalachia In Recovery

Wild Idea Media — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0600

In this Southern Currents episode, Bill traveled back to Southern Appalachia early in the spring, just months after Hurricane Helene, to trace the impacts of a storm that has reshaped the region’s communities and forests hundreds of miles inland. We sit down with longtime conservation allies, Josh Kelly of MountainTrue, Ben Prater of Defenders of Wildlife, Sam Evans of the Southern Environmental Law Center, and later Jill Gottesman of The Wilderness Society, to reflect on what recovery really looks like. The conversation moves from personal stories of evacuations, power outages, and neighbors sharing water, to bigger questions about resilience, both human and ecological.

Find the resources and links mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

Kim Bednarek: Community-Led Wins in the Okefenokee

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0600

In this episode Bill and Anders head deep into the Okefenokee with guest Kim Bednarek, the executive director of the Okefenokee Swamp Park. Kim shares the story of how a local community created the park in the 1940s as a way to connect people with the swamp, and how today that mission has expanded into conservation education and community-led advocacy. We also cover the World Heritage Site nomination for the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

Find the resources and links mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Reprieve for Hawaiian Marine Monument, Red Wolves Take Step Toward Recovery

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Today on the Wild Line we bring you some numbers of hope for Red Wolf recovery, a temporary restraining order on more development at the Everglades detention facility and win for the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument. There is also a new map out there that shows the public lands at risk of disposal. These stories and more on this week's Wild Line.

Find the resources and links mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

Southern Currents: Saving the Buffalo River Again...and Again

Wild Idea Media — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0600

In this second Southern Currents bonus episode of The Wild Idea, Bill chats with Stewart Noland, Tommie Kelly, and Martha Morris from the Ozark Society, the group that came together in 1962 to keep the Buffalo River from being dammed and went on to make it America’s first National River in 1972.

They swap stories from that fight, like riding the Jubilee Bus to Washington, D.C. and floating the river with Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, and talk about how the work to protect the Buffalo has come up again and again with new threats like landfills, dams, and hog farms. They also share how the Society keeps pushing forward, protecting rivers and wilderness, building trails, and getting the next generation out on the water.

Learn more and access the resources and links mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

Joe Whitson: Marketing the Wilderness

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Environmental justice scholar Joe Whitson joins Bill and Anders to talk about how our stories about nature shape the land itself.

Joe explains his concept of “wildernessing,” the process of making a place look and feel “untouched” through policy decisions, land management, and marketing, even though these landscapes have deep human histories. The conversation moves from history to the present, exploring how our cultural definition of “wilderness” has shifted over time, why climate change is challenging the myth of pristine nature, and what it will take to create a more just and inclusive future for public lands.

Find the resources mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Montana Rivers Protected, LWCF Threatened, Louisiana Wetlands Abandoned

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 07:45:52 -0600

Today we report on the rollback of protections in Alaska’s North Slope, revival of a mining project near the Boundary Waters, and threats to the Land and Water Conservation Fund. We offer some good news with proposed Wild and Scenic River designations in Montana, and some bad news with Louisiana’s cancellation of a landmark coastal restoration project, plus public comments open on a controversial Forest Service reorganization plan.

Find out more about the news mentioned today and links and resources from today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

Southern Currents: Land Loss and Citizen Science on The Gulf Coast

Wild Idea Media — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0600

In this first installment of our special Southern Currents series, Bill travels the Gulf Coast (sadly, without Anders) to explore the crisis of coastal land loss and the role of citizen science in protecting the region's future.

We begin in Louisiana with Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Bob Marshall, who has spent decades covering the collapse of his home state's coastal wetlands, before shifting east to the Florida panhandle, where marine biologist, author, and lifelong mischief-maker Jack Rudloe tells the story of founding the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab in Panacea, Florida.

Together, these conversations trace the interconnected threads of land, water, loss, and resilience in the Gulf South and ask what it means to fight for wild places when those places are rapidly disappearing.

Learn more and find the resources and links mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

Blain and Monique Anderson: Sailing Alaska's Wilderness Waters

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Join us as we climb aboard the BOB, a 50-foot Catalina sailboat, with Blain and Monique Anderson—a husband-and-wife team navigating the remote waters of Southeast Alaska. As the owners of Sound Sailing, they’ve turned their love of sailing and wild places into a platform for sharing the raw beauty and singular experience found only in Alaska’s coastal wilderness. Today's episode is part travelogue, part meditation on modern wilderness, and part love letter to the wild waters of Alaska.

Find the resources and links mentioned in today's discussion at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Senators Slam USDA Reorg, New Parks Deep in the Heart of Texas

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 08:24:25 -0600

Today we zoom in on layoffs, restructuring, and reorganizations across multiple departments, and cover wins and losses for wildlife and parks. We also inventory what happened on the hill this week.

Find out more about the news mentioned today and links and resources from today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

Your Hosts Bill & Anders: You Ask - We Answer

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0600

In this special 20th episode of The Wild Idea, Bill and Anders are recording face-to-face for the first time, from the deck of a sailboat in Southeast Alaska. To mark the milestone, they’re answering twenty questions submitted by listeners.

The result is a wide-ranging, often hilarious, occasionally serious, and always thoughtful conversation that covers everything from their dream podcast guests and close calls in the backcountry to artificial intelligence, bipartisan conservation, screen addiction, and the secret behind those corny intro questions.

Find the links and resources mentioned today along with the list of questions answered on our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: USFS Reorg, Massive Cuts to Interior in House Budget Bill, Legal Win for Wildlife

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 08:11:39 -0600

Today on The Wild Line: A sweeping USDA plan to restructure the Forest Service, a major executive order from President Trump aimed at fast-tracking AI data center development on federal land, the House’s latest Interior budget bill, and a legal win for conservationists.

Find the resources mentioned today and more at our website, thewildidea.com.

Josh Jackson: The Forgotten Lands Project

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Josh Jackson didn’t set out to become a champion for the Bureau of Land Management. But after stumbling into BLM lands in the deserts of California, he found himself transformed, first by the landscape, and then by the history behind it.

In this episode, Josh joins Bill and Anders to talk about The Enduring Wild, his new book exploring California’s public lands, and the path that took him from “drive-by desert” skeptic to devoted pilgrim. why the desert strips us bare, how the King Range helped launch a conservation revolution inside the BLM, and the power of returning to overlooked landscapes again and again.

Learn more about Josh and the resources mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

Cristina Eisenberg: Humility as a Tool for Protection and Stewardship

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0600

In this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Cristina Eisenberg shares her perspective on the growing crisis facing our forests and why meeting this moment will take more than science alone. As the opening speaker for the Ninth American Forest Congress, Cristina reflects on how this historic gathering signals a shift in how we think about forest stewardship—and why that shift depends on blending Western science with Indigenous knowledge and local wisdom. Together with Bill and Anders, she unpacks why both extractive management and strict hands-off protection have fallen short, and how it’s time to rethink what “wilderness” really means.

Learn more, connect with Dr. Eisenberg, and find the links and resources mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Oil Train Rolls in Utah, Merkley Asks for Wildfire Funds, Trump Targets Park History

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 08:27:57 -0600

This week on The Wild Line: We’re back with a full roundup of what’s happening across all three branches of government, plus a reminder that history is written not just in laws, but in landscapes. We dive into the latest BLM approvals, two new Trump-era executive orders, a small act you can take to help save our National Park signs, and a whole lot more.

Find the links and resources mentioned today on our website, thewildidea.com.

Tony Bynum: Conservation Through a Photographer's Lens

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Conservation photographer Tony Bynum joins Bill and Anders for a wide-ranging conversation about photography, sovereignty, wild places, and what it means to tell the truth with an image. Tony's work isn’t just about capturing beauty; it’s about telling the full story of a place, pushing for protection, and reminding us what’s at stake.

Today's conversation explores what makes an image meaningful, why Tony walked away from shooting for certain publications, and how photography can either glorify or challenge our assumptions about land, nature, and use. Tony also shares insights from his time at the EPA, his work with tribal nations across the Columbia River Basin, and his deep belief that storytelling, when done honestly, can move people to care and act.

Learn more and connect with Tony by visiting our show notes page at thewildidea.com, where we've included links and resources from today's episode.

The Wild Line: Congress Wraps Up Reconciliation, Trump Eyes the Everglades, USDA Considers Nuking NEPA

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 07:35:10 -0600

Bill and Anders cover the end of the budget reconciliation process which saw the public land sell-off removed, but many more major setbacks for public lands survived. The Forest Service took steps to loosen rules around following the National Environmental Policy Act, and in Montana they ceded management of 200,000 acres to the state through a new Good Neighbor Authority agreement. We track a lawsuit around the lands being used for the so-called Alligator Alcatraz.

Learn more and find the resources from today's episode at our website, thewilddea.com.

Anne Robinson: 'Good News' from the Appalachian Trail

Wild Idea Media — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0600

In this bonus of The Wild Idea, we’re literally taking you to the Appalachian Trail.

Anne Robinson joins us from Harpers Ferry, the symbolic halfway point of her 2,200-mile thru-hike, for a conversation about what happens when you step away from your desk and into the woods for months at a time. Anne recently left her job at Southern Environmental Law Center to take on the AT, and in this episode, she shares what she’s learning about land, history, community—and herself—along the way.

Learn more about Anne and find the links and resources from today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Conservation Alliance: Outdoor Brands Make a Stand

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0600

This week on The Wild Idea, we’re exploring the growing power of outdoor brands to influence public land policy. What happens when the companies that outfit our adventures decide to stand up for the places that make those adventures possible?

We’re joined by Paul Hendricks, Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance, and Vince Mazzuca, Director of Marketing at Osprey, to talk about the role of the business community in conservation. Together, they offer a powerful look at how brands are using their voice and their dollars to push back on efforts to privatize or exploit public lands and waters.

Learn more and find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Okefenokee Swamp Saved, Trump Targets the Roadless Rule, Lee's Land Sale Hits a Snag

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 09:00:00 -0600

Bill and Anders break down a big week for public lands. The Okefenokee Swamp is safe from mining, Arkansas banned large hog farms in the Buffalo River Watershed, and Senator Mike Lee’s latest land sell-off push has hit a snag. Major threats remain; the Trump administration moves to repeal the Roadless Rule, putting 58 million acres at risk. Plus, Senate updates, Forest Service rulemaking, and a tribute to Montana wilderness champion Pat Williams.

Learn more and find the resources from today's episode at our website, thewilddea.com.

Chris Wood: Roadless Rule Rescinded

Wild Idea Media — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 15:00:00 -0600

Chris Wood - the godfather of the Roadless Rule and President and CEO of Trout Unlimited - joins the show to talk about how the Roadless Rule came to be, what it actually does, and why the Trump Administration’s move to undo it threatens some of the most ecologically and recreationally important backcountry we have. From fire mitigation myths to the politics of rulemaking, Wood offers a clear-eyed and hopeful reminder of what’s worth protecting, and how.

Learn more and find the resources mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

Martin Nie and Monte Mills: Not Just a Box to Check - Tribal Sovereignty and Co-Management

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 04:00:00 -0600

What does it really mean to share stewardship of public lands with tribal nations?

In this episode, legal scholar Monte Mills, a leading expert on Federal Indian Law, tribal sovereignty, and Indigenous cultural protection, and public lands policy expert Martin Nie, whose work focuses on the governance of federal lands and collaborative management across tribal, state, and federal lines, unpack the complex, often misunderstood world of tribal co-management.

This episode challenges assumptions, connects legal nuance with lived experience, and makes the case that co-management isn’t a buzzword—it’s a necessary shift toward justice, sustainability, and honoring deep, place-based relationships that predate the United States itself.

Learn more about our guests, find the links and resources mentioned in today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Wildfire, Broken Promises and Reconciliation

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 08:00:00 -0600

This week on The Wild Line, we’re tracking three major stories shaping the future of public lands and the communities that depend on them, including a new executive order aimed at “commonsense” wildfire prevention and response.

Learn more and find the links and resources from today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

Tracy Stone-Manning: Promises Worth Defending

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Tracy Stone-Manning has spent her career at the heart of public lands policy—from field offices and statehouses to the director’s chair at the Bureau of Land Management. Now, as president of The Wilderness Society, she’s carrying that fight forward with a deep belief in collaboration, connection, and the promise our public lands represent.

In this episode, she joins Bill and Anders for a wide-ranging conversation about what’s really happening inside our land management agencies, what the public lands rule was meant to protect, and why the stakes feel higher than ever.

Learn more and access the resources and links mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Senate Draft Targets Millions of Acres, DOJ Clears Monument Rollbacks

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 08:03:57 -0600

This week on The Wild Line, we dive into the latest updates from the Department of Justice, look at Senate drafts impacting public lands and forests, and talk about youth efforts on behalf of Bigfoot, as well as a handful of other important topics. It's been a big week for wilderness spaces—here's what you may have missed.

Find out more about today's episode and links we mentioned on the show at our website, thewildidea.com.

Randy Newberg: The Host of Fresh Tracks Offers Fresh Ideas on Advocacy and Access

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Randy Newberg is one of the most trusted and strategic voices in the sportsman conservation world, and he’s got stories to prove it. In this episode, Randy joins Bill and Anders for a wide-ranging, funny, and deeply personal conversation that moves from his childhood hunting on public lands in northern Minnesota to testifying before Congress and building a media platform to fight for the places that fed and shaped him.

Learn more about Randy and find links to the resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com.

The Wild Line: Lee and Daines talk land sales, Interior guts Science and opens Alaska to drilling

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 08:14:22 -0600

This week on The Wild Line, Senators Lee and Daines revive dangerous land sell-off efforts, the DOI axes key science protections, and Alaska faces a new wave of oil and gas drilling, because apparently, recess doesn’t mean rest for public lands.

Learn more and find the links and resources from today's episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

Andis Arietta: The Uncertainty Inherent in Wilderness

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 04:00:00 -0600

What do frozen frogs, machine learning, roadkill, and wilderness ethics have in common? According to evolutionary ecologist Dr. Andis Arietta…everything.

In this wide-ranging and mind-expanding conversation, Andis joins us to explore the deep connections between ecology, evolution, climate change, and how (and whether) we manage wild places.

Find the links and resources mentioned in today's conversation and learn more about Andis by visiting our website, thewildidea.com

The Wild Line: SCOTUS approves mine on sacred ground; Burgum rewrites history

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 30 May 2025 09:30:00 -0600

This week on The Wild Line, despite Congress being on recess, the hits keep coming for public lands, tribal sovereignty, and environmental protections.

Find the links and resources mentioned in today's episode on our website, thewildidea.com

Jon Jarvis: Are Our National Parks Being Set Up To Fail?

Wild Idea Media — Thu, 29 May 2025 04:00:00 -0600

In this bonus episode of The Wild Idea, we sit down with Jon Jarvis, the 18th Director of the National Park Service, for a wide-ranging and urgent conversation about the future of America’s public lands. Drawing on his 40-year career in the Park Service—from backcountry Alaska to the corridors of D.C.—Jarvis offers a sobering look at current threats, including budget slashing, forced retirements, and what he calls a calculated push to privatize the parks.

Learn more and find the links and resources mentioned in this episode at our website, thewildidea.com.

Ingrid Lyons: Save the Boundary Waters, Join the National Wilderness Coalition

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 27 May 2025 04:00:00 -0600

What does it take to protect one of the most visited, and most threatened, wilderness areas in America? Executive Director of Save the Boundary Waters, Ingrid Lyons, joins us to talk about the fight to defend Minnesota’s beloved Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from dangerous copper mining proposals and the broader movement to reinvigorate wilderness advocacy nationwide.

Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode and connect with Ingrid on our website, thewildidea.com

The Wild Line: Burgum Defends Park Closures, Public Lands Survive Reconciliation (for now)

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 23 May 2025 08:00:00 -0600

This week on The Wild Line, Anders and Bill break down a big development in the ongoing budget reconciliation battle, and what it means for public lands. We dive into the House Reconciliation Bill, the Trump administration’s $5 billion cut to the Department of the Interior’s budget, and more.

Find the links and resources mentioned in today's episode on our website, thewildidea.com

Senator Tim Kaine: Walk, Ride, Paddle, Protect!

Wild Idea Media — Thu, 22 May 2025 05:46:28 -0600

It’s not every day a sitting U.S. Senator joins us to talk about the places that shaped him. In this special bonus episode, Senator Tim Kaine reflects on his journey across Virginia—on foot, by bike, and by kayak—and how that experience shapes his approach to conservation, policy, and legacy.

See the notes from today's episode and learn more by visiting our website, thewildidea.com

Kaitie Schneider: Wolverines Reissued

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 20 May 2025 04:00:00 -0600

What happens when you try to bring back a mythic, misunderstood, cold-loving carnivore that most people don't even know is real? You get one of the most fascinating conservation stories in the American West. In this episode, Kaitie Schneider of Defenders of Wildlife joins us to talk about the long-awaited reintroduction of Gulo gulo, the wolverine, to Colorado.

Learn more and connect with Kaitie by visiting our website, thewildidea.com

The Wild Line: Bipartisan Pushback on Threats to Public Lands and the Endangered Species Act

Wild Idea Media — Fri, 16 May 2025 12:08:28 -0600

Welcome to the very first edition of The Wild Line, a new weekly series from The Wild Idea podcast. This show is for all of you who’ve asked to stay informed about what’s happening with our public lands, from Washington, D.C. to your own backyard. Each Friday, we’ll bring you the big stories shaping the future of our wild places, with sharp commentary, context, and some fire.

This week, we’re starting with some catch-up after a whirlwind month on the public lands front. We cover promising legislation in Virginia and Arkansas, the wildfire of bad news coming out of House reconciliation efforts, attacks on the Endangered Species Act, bipartisan resistance to land sell-offs, and the gutting of our public lands workforce.

Find the links and resources mentioned in today's episode on our website, thewildidea.com

Jose Gonzalez: Show Up and Be Curious

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 13 May 2025 04:00:00 -0600

In this episode of The Wild Idea, we speak with José González, founder of Latino Outdoors and co-founder of The Outdoorist Oath, about identity, community, and redefining what it means to belong in wild spaces.

José shares his personal journey from rural Mexico to national conservation leadership, and why the question isn’t just how to get more people outside, but why it matters who gets to belong there.

Learn more and connect with José by visiting our website, thewildidea.com

David Gessner: Roosevelt, Resistance and Reclaiming the Wild

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 06 May 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Today we are in conversation with David Gessner, the bestselling author of multiple books including his most recent release, The Book of Flaco. We talk about his exploration of the American West both on the page and through his own travels, along with the lasting legacy of Theodore Roosevelt and the paradox of land management in the United States.

Connect with David and learn more about this conversation at our website, thewildidea.com

Tim Manley: Grizzlies, Conflict, and Coexistence

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Today we're so excited to welcome Grizzly Bear Management Specialist (retired) Tim Manley to The Wild Idea podcast!

In our conversation today, we talk about Tim's pioneering work capturing Grizzly behavior in the wild, the evolution of the Grizzly - Human relationship and interactions, and how human behavior is impacting Grizzly habitat and vice versa.

Learn more about Tim and find the links and resources mentioned in today's episode on our website.

Drew Lanham: The Wild We Inherit, The Wild We Imagine

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Today we are excited to be in conversation with J. Drew Lanham, an ecologist, poet, and professor.

We dive into questions of wilderness, who determines the authenticity of an outdoor experience, how Black and Brown people are showing up outside, what the evolving government actions could mean for our common access to wild spaces, and so much more.

Connect with Drew and see the links and resources mentioned in today's episode on our website.

Greg Aplet: Forests, Fire, and What is Wild

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Today we're welcoming forest ecologist Greg Aplet as we dive into one of the most common points of interest when it comes to the wilderness today: forest fires and how they impact spaces both wild and human.

We talk with Greg about legislation and governmental actions, the costs and benefits of allowing fires to burn, the after-effects of the Smoky the Bear campaign, and how we can further the conversation between everyone impacted by logging, forest fires, and the ecology of the wilderness.

Connect with Greg and see the links and resources mentioned in today's episode on our website.

Susan Jane Brown: The (Troubled) Future of the United States Forest Service

Wild Idea Media — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0600

In the midst of the current administration's efforts to target public lands for privatization, we invited Susan Jane Brown—who we'll call SJ throughout today's show—to talk about what's happening right now and what it means for all of us, in this bonus episode where we're diving deep into the current threats facing the U.S. Forest Service.

After setting the stage with a framing of the government institutions that protect and caretake our public lands, we get into conversation with SJ about the entire picture of the timber industry and its intersection with public lands, from rural communities to fire management and so much more.

Connect with SJ and see the links and resources mentioned in today's episode on our website.

Corina Newsome: The Wild All Around Us

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Today we’re joined by wildlife scientist Corina Newsome, as we explore the roots of her passion for birds before diving into how her career has brought her into spaces of seeking environmental justice and equity and helping climate-threatened species survive in a changing world.

Connect with Corina and see the links and resources mentioned in today's episode on our website.

Nate Schweber: Public Lands History That Rhymes

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0600

We're excited to welcome journalist Nate Schweber to the show! Today our conversation delves into how journalism has told the story of our public lands across the years, and Nate shares more about his recent book This America of Ours and other crucial writings about our public spaces.

Connect with Nate and see the links and resources mentioned in today's episode on our website.

Hal Herring: Tailgate Conservation

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0600

In today’s episode, we’re talking with the award-winner author, conservationist, and forester Hal Herring. You’l hear about how he balances his work as a planter, a sawyer, and writer; his journey and experiences from his youth in the American South to his career in the forests of the American West, his experiences with conservation and public lands across his career, and why he considers public lands to be the soul of the American Dream.

Connect with Hal and see the links and resources mentioned in today's episode on our website.

The Icebreaker

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0600

Welcome to Episode One of The Wild Idea Podcast!

As you'll hear in today's conversation with co-hosts Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds, this podcast is a project years in a making. The idea for this show emerged during conversations on a prairie in Montana, and we are excited to finally be delivering a series of incredible, important, and hopefully interesting conversations to your listening ears.

Today, Bill and Anders set the framework and talk about why we’re creating this podcast, answer some questions to help you get to know each of them a bit better, and share what you can expect from our upcoming episodes.

At The Wild Idea, we're excited to be exploring questions we’ve been asking ourselves for a long time and bringing these conversations to a wider audience and alongside experts, policymakers, and others.

We're excited to welcome you along.

Trailer - An Introduction to The Wild Idea

Wild Idea Media — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 09:43:32 -0600