Claim OwnershipWilderness Podcast
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© 2023 Wilderness Podcast
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Wilderness Podcast's mission is to spread contextual awareness surrounding wilderness issues and ideals by helping to facilitate a more in-depth appreciation through long form interviews with subject area experts. Wilderness Podcast is a conservation-based passion project.
55 Episodes
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In this episode, I interview Val Barbour and Janelle Ghiorso with Oregon Wild Horse Organization.Topics we discuss:What is so special about wild horses?Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971.Federal Land management agencies abdicating their responsibilities. Are wild horses a native species?Conflicts between cattle interests and horses.Ecological niches that horses and burros provide.The health of horses vs cows on public lands.Horse/predator relationships.Horse gathers, sterilization initiatives, and holding facilities. Issues with the immunocontraceptive GonaCon.What keeps Oregon Wild Horse Organization going?Educating the public about the wild horse issue. https://www.oregon-wildhorse.org/Support the show
In this episode, we discuss:Mike’s career evolution.How the Alliance for the Wild Rockies has been able to maintain its mission and integrity over the decades.The origins of the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA).Why the Alliance sues the Forest Service more than any other environmental group in the country.Wild Montana, Greater Yellowstone Coalition and The Wilderness Society’s promotion of harmful logging projects and the destruction of wilderness quality lands as part of a culture and system of corruption.What greases the skids of conservation collaboratives. The public’s overwhelming support of roadless lands in Montana. The ecological price of continuing motorized and mechanized recreation in roadless areas. The importance of quiet to native wildlife and the human animal.The who, what and why of "conservation” collaboratives. The disastrous Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act. The many threats from road building. The Lincoln Property Proposal.The Gallatin Forest Partnership.What true protections should look like under 30x30.How to start turning the tide for wildlands across the Northern Rockies. The Alliance for the Wild RockiesThe good, bad, and ugly of Tester’s Blackfoot-Clearwater Stewardship ActTWS's Roadless ReportThe Bader Report (Gallatin Forest Partnership)Support the show
In this episode, I interview Dr. Joseph Scalia III, practicing psychoanalyst in Livingston, Montana and frequent guest of the program. Dr. Scalia is a board member with the Gallatin Yellowstone Wilderness Alliance and long-time wilderness activist in Southwest Montana.Topics we cover: Societal change as an important component of the wilderness movement, Joe’s career as a psychoanalyst, the perversion of truth, Felix Guattari’s The Three Ecologies, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) shortcoming, the dark obscene underbelly of public lands politics and recreation, neoliberalism and how it drives mainstream conservation, psychological symptomology of capitalism, treating society as the patient, mechanisms of societal change, what drives the Big Greens, confronting painful truths and the unwillingness of many in the grassroots environmental movement to confront reality and advocate for radical change. Support the show
In this episode, I speak with Erik Molvar, executive director of Western Watersheds Project. We discuss his guidebook writing, the state of our public lands system, the work of Western Watersheds Project, the influence of domestic livestock on Wilderness and public lands, attitudes and historical context of wilderness, Native American omission from the Wilderness Act, the relevancy and importance of the wilderness designation, how to manage public lands for the benefit of ecosystems and the human, collaborative conservation and challenging the dominant culture of colonialism and dominion over nature. Support the show
In this episode, I interview Michael Kellett, Executive Director of Restore the North Woods, a non-profit environmental group working in Maine with the mission of creating a new national park near Mount Katahdin. We talk about his early years, his time spent working for The Wilderness Society on the east coast, the founding and vision of Restore, the story about the creation of the first national monument in Maine, the history and culture of New England landscapes and its working forests (i.e. logging), a vision for hundreds of new national parks across the country and how new national parks and wilderness areas should fit within the 30x30 Campaign. Support the show
Wilderness 30x30 | A Wilderness Podcast miniseriesIn this episode, I interview Erik Fernandez, Wilderness Program Manager with Oregon Wild. We talk about his position at Oregon Wild, the green fallacy that is the state of Oregon, the state’s dwindling roadless areas and high road density, Oregon’s lack of political champions for wilderness, the outsized influence extractive industries have in the state, the need for bold legislative protections to make up for lost ground, recent anti-wilderness attacks in Washington DC, all about the various ecosystems throughout the state, Erik’s thoughts about 30x30, the pros and cons of different federal land designations, both the positives and shortcomings of the newly proposed Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers Legislation, the frustrations and inaccuracies around labeling environmentalists as extremists and the wilderness proposals that Oregon Wild is working on across the state.Support the show
Wilderness 30x30 | A Wilderness Podcast miniseriesIn this episode, I speak with Mike Garrity, Executive Director of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies. We talk about the history of the Alliance, the work they are involved with, how the Alliance has sued the FS more than any other group in the country, all about the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA), protecting entire ecosystems over state-centric wilderness bills, protecting endangered species as a means of securing future wilderness, proposed landscape restoration work under NREPA, livestock grazing buyout provisions, Native American considerations, prominent supporters of NREPA, the economic benefits of the Bill, progress in Congress, thinking big and considering seemingly inconceivable political changes in this country as a beacon of hope for the Northern Rockies and beyond.https://allianceforthewildrockies.org/Support the show
Wilderness 30x30 | A Wilderness Podcast miniseriesIn this episode, I speak with Terri Martin, Intermountain West Organizer with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA). We talk about the founding of SUWA, how they have been successful in an anti-wilderness and anti-federal lands environment, local control efforts undermining the public trust, new wilderness as part of the 30x30 campaign, Native American reception to wilderness in Utah, Bears Ears as a catalyst for 30x30, America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, the spine of the continent, the importance of landscape connectivity, climate mitigation and refugia, SUWA’s monthly podcast and the measurable impacts that activism has on making a difference on the groundSupport the show
In this episode, I speak with Sally Ferguson, Executive Director of the Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation (SBFC). We talk about her background, the mission of the SBFC, central Idaho wilderness areas, how Idahoan’s value wilderness, creating advocates by virtue of deep wilderness experiences, how SBFC works with the Forest Service, noise pollution from small engine aircraft in Idaho wilderness areas, SBFC’s trails and stewardship programs and summer volunteer opportunities in the backcountry. Support the show
In this episode, I interview Dahr Jamail, author of The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption. We talk about Dahr’s life as an investigative journalist, his introduction to the climate crisis through his reporting, climate as the biggest story of all time, his book The End of Ice, coming to grips with our bleak climate reality, how quickly the climate is changing, having difficult conversations about climate disruption, personal rights versus obligations to the planet and future generations, transitioning from an industrial civilization to something new and creating a life of meaning through service to others and all species on Earth. Support the show
In this episode, I speak with Gary Macfarlane, Ecosystems Defense Director and Katie Bilodeau, Staff Attorney with the Friends of the Clearwater in Idaho. We talk all about roadless areas, their history, RARE I, RARE II (Roadless Area Review and Evaluation), fractures in the wilderness community over RARE II, the National Forest Policy Act, the influence of industry on roadless areas, the nitty gritty of the Clinton 2001 Roadless Rule, state specific roadless rules, loopholes in the Roadless Rule, all about the new Friends of the Clearwater Roadless Report for Idaho and Montana, duplicity in the Forest Service on what constitutes protections, out of control and accelerating timber extraction and why we must begin taking roadless lands protection seriously.Support the show
In this episode I interview Stephen Wood, a self-described “Wilderness Composer”. We talk about his childhood, what it means to be a wilderness composer, translating his wilderness experiences into music, his time spent in Montana writing compositions and his many residencies across the country. Stephen plays parts of his compositions for us inspired by his visits to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in George and the Siuslaw National Forest in Oregon and walks us through what he was feeling when writing his pieces. We also discuss appreciating wilderness and drawing upon our wilderness experiences throughout our lives. Support the show
In this episode I speak with Christopher Ketcham, author of This Land: How Cowboys, Capitalism and Corruption are Ruining the American West. We talk about Senate Bill 1695 which would amend the Wilderness Act to allow for mechanized recreation (mountain bikes) in designated Wilderness, the recreation industry's grip on self-professed environmental groups, the Wilderness Act and the ban on mechanization, impacts of mountain biking and other recreation on wildlife populations, allowing mountain bikes in Wilderness as a slippery slope, recreation capitalism, recreation as a distraction and cultural pacifier and fighting for wilderness values.This Land: How Cowboys, Capitalism & Corruption are Ruining the American WestSupport the show
In this episode, I speak with James Brundige, an accomplished conservation and environmental filmmaker. We discuss the California and Oregon wildfires, the interconnectedness of the climate and biodiversity crisis, the impacts of climate change across the globe, about his life as a conservation filmmaker working for National Geographic, NOVA, PBS and others, film as the ultimate art form, his early years as a filmmaker, working with Robert Redford and his film Forever Wild, his important film Wildways, Nature Needs Half, The Club of Rome and The Global Safety Net among other topics.Support the show
Breaking News! On October 29th, the gray wolf lost protection under the Endangered Species Act. In this episode, I speak with Amaroq Weiss, Senior West Coast Wolf Advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity about this news and more. We talk about the history of delisting, the assault on the underlying science, public opinion towards wolves, cultural attitudes, mass wildlife killing programs sponsored by the federal government, regional recovery status, state wildlife agency attitudes, emotionally connecting with wolves, next steps in the courts, Amaroq’s background and all about the Center for Biological Diversity. biodiv.us/wolveshttps://www.biologicaldiversity.org/Support the show
In this episode, I interview Phil Knight, a long-time wilderness and wildlands activist in Montana. We discuss Phil’s guiding in Yellowstone, recently watching wolves kill a Bison, the accelerating destruction of wild nature, the fallacies of forest health initiatives, promoting forest resiliency, Phil’s early years, his activist history, his time with Earth First!, his early frustrations learning about how the government was managing public lands, the timber wars and locking his neck to a loading machine, Cove Mallard in Idaho, the evolution of activism, what Phil is up to today, his project to climb all the high points in Greater Yellowstone which he just recently completed, his hopes for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the insane influx of recreationists on public lands this summer and the inordinate influence of mountain bikers on forest planning policy.Support the show
In this episode, I speak with Joseph Scalia, president of the Gallatin Yellowstone Wilderness Alliance in Bozeman, Montana. Joe is a practicing psychoanalyst in Livingston and brings a unique perspective to the wilderness movement through his vocation. We talk about the climate, ecological and biodiversity crisis on earth, group psychosis and pathological thought processes, how the Big Greens use propaganda to further their agenda, corporatization of the Big Greens, society’s death drive to “have fun”, misrepresentation of Montanan’s desires to protect Wilderness Study Areas, Joe’s time as president of the Montana Wilderness Association, his awakening and realization that he was participating in a destructive system, how to change hearts and minds within captured conservation groups, the social fallout from leaving the pack and the spiritual gains of speaking the truth and seeking higher purpose. Support the show
In this episode, I speak with Jon Marvel, public lands activist and the founder of Western Watersheds Project. We talk about his background, his first experiences on public lands in Idaho, what public lands mean to him, looking at ecosystems with fresh eyes, the vast destruction from intensive livestock grazing on public lands, a vision for public lands without the cows, multiple use mandates, the Bundy clan, the contentious founding of the Idaho Watersheds Project (pre Western Watersheds Project), buying grazing leases for conservation purposes, why some conservation groups don’t address the issue of public lands grazing, reflecting back on his time with Western Watersheds, legislative buyout programs, grazing as the most ubiquitous use of public lands and the reasons why grazing destroys ecosystems. Support the show
In this episode, I am honored to speak with Derrick Jensen. Derrick is a long time environmental activist, writer and philosopher. He has authored dozens of books and essays and is known in the environmental and conservation movement as one of the great movers and shakers of our time. Derrick challenges us to see the bigger picture, question authority and seek new ways of living with ourselves and the planet. We talk about Derrick’s background, his history as an activist, the gaps he discovered in the environmental discourse, our cultural hate of nature, the epistemology of science, how we perceive the natural world, reverting to hunter gatherer societies, the fact that we are in overshoot, the fundamental roles of natural communities, the problem with agriculture, the troubles with talk of sustainability without addressing psychopathy and power, the responsibility of participating in the predator pray relationship, Jevons Paradox, the ridiculous notion that renewable energy will save us, the hypocrisy of the green new deal, the collapse of civilization, why it’s still worth fighting for a future and living with dignity moving forward into terrifying and uncertain times. Support the show
In this episode, I speak with George Wuerthner, wilderness activist and wildlands ecologist. George is a frequent guest of the program and a prolific writer and advocate for the wild. He has authored more than 38 books on public lands issues and conservation. We talk about predator hunting and the associated ecological and social fallout, wolf hunting exacerbating cattle grazing conflicts, Aldo Leopold and the wolf as told in his Sand County Almanac, changing the direction and missions of state fish and wildlife agencies, taking on “the old boy”hunting network, predator management and our value systems.We then pivot the conversation and talk about how some conservation groups have kept their mission intact after experiencing changes and growth, groups that have lost their way (and some reasons why), how to help ensure that grassroots groups stay on track, the problem with the Conservation Collaboratives and how to keep the passion going. Support the show
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