Explore every episode of the podcast The Wild Line

This week, a Senate committee drops most of its wilderness, national park, and wild and scenic river bills in favor of energy permitting measures, a federal judge in Anchorage clears the way for transferring more than 2 million acres along the Dalton Highway corridor to the State of Alaska, while the Interior Department cancels the Endangered Species Act's blanket 4(d) rule and NOAA rejects a bid to expand North Atlantic right whale critical habitat. We also cover new reporting linking paused DOGE wildfire-prevention funding to the fires burning across northern Minnesota, the removal of tribal signage at the newly shrunken Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante Monuments, and the closing comment period on proposed changes to the Forest Service Directives System. Plus: peak viewing at Katmai's Brooks Falls bear cam and a relaunched wilderness management certificate program at the University of Montana.

Full show notes and links at our website, thewildidea.com.

This week, proposed federal rules would gut tribal consultation and historic-preservation protections under the National Historic Preservation Act, and the Trump Administration opens a comment period on drilling near Chaco Canyon, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We also cover a nearly one-third cut to Canada lynx critical habitat, a Montana Land Board grazing policy widely read as targeting American Prairie's bison herd, and a busy week for the House Natural Resources Committee.

Plus: two Forest Service employees kidnapped at gunpoint in Northern California, a flash flood that killed five members of one family in Utah, a Mother Jones investigation into wildfire betting markets, criticism of a Blue Ridge Parkway logging plan, wildfires closing the entire Boundary Waters, and Okefenokee's bid for UNESCO World Heritage status.

Full show notes and links at our website, thewildidea.com.

This week on The Wild Line, we’re tracking the Senate confirmation of Steve Pearce as Bureau of Land Management director, the Trump administration’s restoration of cyanide trap devices on public lands, new reporting on how automated bots are locking everyday users out of Recreation.gov permits, the launch of a free community shuttle connecting Colorado residents to outdoor destinations in the Golden and Morrison area, and FBI Director Kash Patel’s coordinated snorkel tour of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor. From FY27 appropriations markups to Conservation Alliance lobbying in Washington, these stories trace a week of compounding movement on federal lands and wildlife policy.

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

This week on The Wild Line, we're tracking the Bureau of Land Management's rescission of the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's congressional testimony — including his description of designated wilderness areas as "death sentences for forests" — a House bill that would block North Atlantic right whale protections through 2035, the authorization of chainsaws in the Frank Church Wilderness, and state-level wins in Colorado and New Mexico. 

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

This week on The Wild Line, we're tracking the Senate's imminent floor vote on Steve Pearce's nomination as BLM Director, Montana's escalating campaign against American Prairie's bison grazing permits, a federal land transfer tied to the Ambler Road corridor in Alaska, an Alaska court ruling allowing unlimited bear killing in southwest Alaska, a pending Forest Service decision on chainsaw use in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, and the death of conservationist Ted Turner. From nomination fights to wilderness policy to bison restoration, the pressure on public lands is building on every front.

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

This week on The Wild Line, we're tracking the withdrawal of the Trump administration's National Park Service nominee, a Forest Service plan to spray glyphosate across 10,000 acres of public land, a federal lawsuit to stop a controversial West Virginia highway, a proposed blast mine threatening the San Joaquin River, new University of Montana survey data on public lands attitudes, a coalition framework rejecting public land sell-offs as a housing fix, and the opening of a new trail at Red Rock Canyon. From farm bill stalemates to the gap between what Montana voters say and how their delegation votes, these stories cut to the heart of who controls — and who protects — America's public lands.

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

This week on The Wild Line, we’re tracking a major Endangered Species Act victory on Capitol Hill, proposed Forest Service rule changes that would open wilderness areas to chainsaws and fast-track mining exploration on national forest land, Interior and Agriculture secretaries facing congressional budget scrutiny, and a landmark master plan approved for California’s Great Redwood Trail. From federal wilderness policy to tribal treaty rights, these stories reveal the high stakes of public lands management in 2026.

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

This week on The Wild Line, we're tracking the Senate's passage of a Congressional Review Act resolution to enable mining in the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the Forest Service's proposed headquarters relocation to Salt Lake City, the Conservation Reserve Program's final deadline for 2026 offers, evidence of Trump administration coordination with Sen. Mike Lee's federal land sell-off proposal, the Confluence of States' 2025 Outdoor Report highlighting the $1.3 trillion economic value of outdoor recreation, a Gallup survey showing widespread concern about environmental protection, and a lawsuit challenging the administration's use of the "God Squad" to grant broad exemptions from the Endangered Species Act for Gulf oil and gas leasing. From federal public lands management to conservation policy, these stories highlight the accelerating pace of regulatory rollbacks and their implications for American wilderness and wildlife.

For more details about the links and resources mentioned today, visit our website at thewildidea.com.

This week on The Wild Line, we're tracking the Trump Administration's proposed budget cuts to the National Park Service, the controversial Forest Service reorganization plan, a new consolidated NEPA rule at the USDA, and legislative calls to action in Congress. From federal land management challenges to endangered species protections, these stories highlight the stakes for public lands policy and the staff who steward America's natural resources.

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

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.

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.

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.

This week, President Trump signs executive orders cutting Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments by nearly 3 million acres combined, over tribal leaders' objections that they were never consulted. Federal agencies rescind the Endangered Species Act's core habitat protection, and Interior proposes returning grizzly bear management to Western states. We also cover a court ruling on grizzly and bull trout habitat in Montana, a House committee vote on whale protections, new funding for endangered species recovery, and rare good news: four litters of wild red wolf pups born in North Carolina. Plus, Ferncliff begins removing a dam to restore an Arkansas stream, and we mark a fourth death tied to Colorado's Gold Mountain Fire.

Full show notes and links at our website, thewildidea.com.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This week, the Bureau of Land Management proposes its first grazing rule overhaul since 1995, covering 155 million acres of Western public land and sharply limiting public participation in permit decisions. A coalition sues to block the Forest Service's largest restructuring in a century, and we track new wildlife crossing funding in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, a wildfire burning into a 50-year-untouched Colorado wilderness, and a new free tool for tracking public lands comment periods. We also remember David Page of the Winter Wildlands Alliance.

Full show notes and links at our website, thewildidea.com.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

This week, the Forest Service opens a comment period on a proposed rule that would narrow public input into how national forests are managed, and the window closes July 31. The Interior Department signs a partnership with "de-extinction" company Colossal Biosciences on species genomics, raising the question of whether the tools complement or replace habitat-based recovery. A new lawsuit tests how far Congress can stretch the Congressional Review Act against land management plans. We also cover a volunteer-built replacement for the shuttered Climate.gov, the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, and hard news from the fire line in Colorado alongside the closing of National Parks Traveler.

Find the full show notes and links at our website, thewildidea.com. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This week on The Wild Line, we're tracking Farm Bill wilderness designations for Virginia, Arkansas, and Illinois; Kevin Lilly's confirmation hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee; Interior's proposed rollback of oil and gas drilling safeguards; a leaked Flathead National Forest memo that would open recommended wilderness to off-road vehicles; an emergency Forest Service salvage timber declaration covering up to 11 million acres with a one-week comment period; NPS restrictions on fatality reporting; and the death of environmental journalist James Bruggers.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.