Best Center for Western Priorities Podcasts (2025)

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How people across the West are fighting to protect public lands 50:05

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2h ago50:05

50:05

This Saturday is National Public Lands Day, and in honor of that, we’re bringing you a special behind the scenes episode about our Keep Parks Public tour featuring the team here at CWP. As many listeners or Look West subscribers may know, the CWP team embarked on a 10-day journey that took us from Denver to Las Cruces, Tucson, Flagstaff, Moab, Salt…

1
Ryan Busse on how billionaires are locking up land in Montana 40:43

13d ago40:43

40:43

Kate and Aaron talk to former Montana gubernatorial candidate, public lands hunter, and Substack author Ryan Busse about how billionaires are cutting off access to the outdoors in Montana and a whole lot more. We also briefly touch on the news that the Trump administration is repealing the Public Lands Rule and give an update on the Roadless Rule r…

1
LIVE in Grand Junction: Public land advocates take Trump attacks personally 56:49

28d ago56:49

56:49

Kate hosts a live episode in Grand Junction on CWP’s Keep Parks Public tour! Guests discuss the importance of keeping our parks and monuments staffed and funded. Guests: Ken Mabery, former superintendent of Colorado National Monument, Cole Hanson, Grand Valley Outdoor Recreation Coalition board member and Gear Junction co-owner, Jessy Nuckolls, pub…

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LIVE: Utah conservation all-stars on how to Keep Parks Public 57:38

1M ago57:38

57:38

Kate hosts a live episode in Salt Lake City on CWP’s Keep Parks Public tour! Guests: Erika Pollard, National Parks Conservation Association; Davina Smith, Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and Grand Staircase Escalante Partners; Scott Braden, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance; Doug Tolman, Save Our Canyons. Resources Keep Parks Public: Tell us why …

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LIVE: Colorado’s public lands are under attack. Keep Parks Public tour highlights threats and ways to fight back 45:11

1M ago45:11

45:11

Aaron hosts a live episode in Denver, kicking off CWP’s Keep Parks Public tour. Scott Fitzwilliams, former supervisor of the White River National Forest in Colorado, Kelly Nordini, CEO of Conservation Colorado, and Kara Matsumoto, public lands director at the Conservation Lands Foundation, join us to discuss threats to Colorado’s public lands posed…

1
What’s next for Utah after SCOTUS snub and Mike Lee flame out? 41:14

2M ago41:14

41:14

What the heck is Utah up to now that it’s land grab lawsuit has been snubbed by the Supreme Court and Senator Mike Lee has made public land sell-off untouchable in Congress? Kate and Aaron put that question to John Ruple, a Professor of Law and Stegner Center Fellow at the University of Utah, and Steve Bloch, legal director of the Southern Utah Wil…

1
The strange and mysterious history of the Joshua tree 22:36

2M ago22:36

22:36

Kate and Aaron interview author Barret Baumgart about his new book Yuck: The Birth and Death of the Weird and Wondrous Joshua Tree. Baumgart became obsessed with Joshua trees during the pandemic and ended up uncovering some interesting facts and stories about them. News Trump admin to ink deals with states for forest management – E&E News The Fores…

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Former Forest Service leader on how Trump is hollowing out the agency 40:10

3M ago40:10

40:10

Kate and Aaron talk to Steve Ellis, a 38-year veteran of both the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management and current chair of the National Association of Forest Service Retirees, about what the Trump administration is doing, and trying to do, to the Forest Service, and what that means for everything from logging to wildfires. News How Co…

1
How do we protect BLM lands? We tell their stories 43:29

3M ago43:29

43:29

Kate and Aaron talk to writer, photographer, and adventurer Josh Jackson about his new book, The Enduring Wild, which beautifully captures the variety and vastness of California’s public lands—with a particular focus on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Josh is also the man behind the @forgottenlandsproject Instagram account, which he…

1
Mining companies are knocking at the doors of our national parks 40:50

3M ago40:50

40:50

Kate and Aaron talk to experts at the National Parks Conservation Association about illegal mining inside of Mojave National Preserve and a recent uptick in mining claims on public lands, including those near national parks. News 250+ million acres of public lands eligible for sale in SENR budget reconciliation package – The Wilderness Society From…

1
The DOJ just told Trump he can eliminate monuments. Now what? 17:35

3M ago17:35

17:35

Trump’s Department of Justice just released an opinion stating that the Antiquities Act gives presidents the power to shrink or eliminate national monuments at will. But what does that mean, for example, if Trump tries to undo Chuckwalla National Monument or shrink Bears Ears? Will this DOJ opinion stand up in court? We put those questions and […] …

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Tracy Stone-Manning on the biggest threats to public lands right now

4M ago

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Kate and Aaron talk to Tracy Stone-Manning, former director of the Bureau of Land Management and current president of the Wilderness Society. Tracy tells us what it was like to inherit an agency that was decimated by the first Trump administration and what she’s worried about this time around—but also, what’s giving her hope for […] The post Tracy …

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How are the national parks holding up against DOGE and Trump’s attacks? 29:20

5M ago29:20

29:20

Kate and Aaron talk to Kurt Repanshek, founder and editor of National Parks Traveler, about President Donald Trump’s proposed funding cuts to the National Park System as well as how staffing cuts imposed by Elon Musk’s DOGE are affecting the Park Service. News In the dead of night, House committee votes to sell off public […] The post How are the n…

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New nature doc frames the Colorado River as an opportunity, not a crisis 41:42

5M ago41:42

41:42

Kate and Aaron speak with Len Necefer, CEO & Founder of NativesOutdoors, a native owned outdoor media, apparel and consulting company. You may also know him as the man behind the Sonoran Avalanche Center Instagram account. Len talks about his latest project, a documentary film about the Colorado River basin titled The American Southwest, and […] Th…

1
How the White House is making federal permitting less efficient 37:20

5M ago37:20

37:20

Kate and Aaron nerd out with John Ruple, public lands professor at the University of Utah and a former member of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) about recent changes to how the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is being implemented across federal agencies, like the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service. […] The …

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Unpacking Trump’s mining and timber EOs 40:16

6M ago40:16

40:16

Kate and Aaron talk to two experts about recent executive orders that negatively affect public lands. Mitch Friedman, founder and executive director of Conservation Northwest, talks about how Trump’s executive order aimed at increasing logging in national forests squares with existing law and forest management plans, while Rachael Hamby, policy dir…

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How Elon Musk is trying to dismantle the Interior department 45:19

6M ago45:19

45:19

Kate and Aaron are joined by Jimmy Tobias, a public lands reporter and contributor to the Public Domain substack, and Jacob Malcom, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Environmental Management at the Interior Department, to talk about Elon Musk’s attacks on the Interior Department and its employees. Jimmy has been covering changes insi…

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How nature makes us feel happier, healthier, and more connected to humanity 32:10

7M ago32:10

32:10

This week, we take a break from bad news to talk about what nature does to your brain. Kate and Aaron speak to author Florence Williams about her book, The Nature Fix, which came out in 2017 but is just as relevant today. Her book looks at the science behind why nature makes us feel happier, […] The post How nature makes us feel happier, healthier,…

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Western voters reject Trump agenda on public lands 38:51

7M ago38:51

38:51

Aaron and Kate break down the results of Colorado College’s annual State of the Rockies Conservation in the West poll with pollsters Lori Weigell and Dave Metz. The poll found that voters in the West support preserving and protecting public lands more than ever before in the poll’s 15-year history. That’s right—just as President Trump […] The post …

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Layoffs at Interior are causing chaos and heartbreak 30:10

7M ago30:10

30:10

Kate and Aaron are joined by Tim Whitehouse, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, and Mitch Flanigan, a former ranger at Denali National Park, to talk about recent firings across Interior department agencies, including the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Managment, as well as at the U.S. Forest Servi…

1
Can President Trump even do that? Public lands edition 45:10

8M ago45:10

45:10

Aaron and Kate are joined by Mark Squillace, natural resources law professor at the University of Colorado Law School. Professor Squillace provided legal counsel to the Interior Department under President Bill Clinton and Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, and he’s a two-time veteran of this podcast. Today, we discuss the legality of President Trump…

1
Trump’s Day One attack on public lands 23:18

8M ago23:18

23:18

Kate and Aaron talk through the effects of President Donald Trump’s first executive orders on public lands with Drew McConville, a senior fellow on the Conservation Policy team at the Center for American Progress. His research is focused on energy, public lands, and Alaska. News Trump Signs Orders to Promote Fossil Fuels and End Climate […] The pos…

1
Looking back on Biden’s conservation record 37:17

8M ago37:17

37:17

Kate and Aaron talk to CWP colleagues Lauren Bogard and Sterling Homard about our recent report on President Joe Biden’s final year on public lands, which looks at the president’s conservation achievements over the past year in the context of his full presidential term. They also recap Trump Interior Secretary Nominee Doug Burgum’s Senate confirmat…

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What Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda means for public lands 35:17

9M ago35:17

35:17

Kate and Aaron are joined by Alan Zibel, a research director at Public Citizen who focuses on energy and environmental issues. He breaks down what Donald Trump and the incoming Congress’s so-called “energy dominance” agenda could mean for public lands—given that the U.S. is already the world’s top exporter of natural gas (otherwise known as […] The…

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This company is trying to drain an aquifer in the Mojave Desert 32:55

9M ago32:55

32:55

Kate and Aaron talk to Chris Clarke, host of the 90 Miles from Needles podcast, about the Cadiz pipeline project, a water mining project that poses a huge threat to the Mojave Desert. This project has been around in some form or another for over four decades and the latest iteration is especially insidious. News […] The post This company is trying …

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Special episode: Inside the Dolores River Canyons 24:22

10M ago24:22

24:22

In this special episode of The Landscape, Kate visits the Dolores River Canyon Country in southwest Colorado, along with CWP’s Lauren Bogard and Sterling Homard, to meet with folks who support protecting this special region. The Dolores River’s riparian zone contains the largest and most biodiverse stretch of unprotected public lands in Colorado. A…

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What the results of the election mean for public lands 34:00

10M ago34:00

34:00

Kate and Aaron are joined by CWP Executive Director, Jennifer Rokala, and Curtis Hubbard, a political consultant based in Colorado, to break down the what the results of the 2024 election mean for public lands. News With Ready Orders and an Energy Czar, Trump Plots Pivot to Fossil Fuels – New York Times Trump gave […] The post What the results of t…

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Choo! Choo! NEPA heads to the Supreme Court disguised as an oil train 36:17

11M ago36:17

36:17

Kate and Aaron talk to Sanjay Narayan, managing attorney of the Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program, about a lawsuit over the proposed Uinta Basin oil train that could have some major implications for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The case is set to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in December. News With […] The post Choo! Cho…

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What Biden can do for America’s forests before he leaves office 34:30

11M ago34:30

34:30

Kate and Aaron are joined by Dr. Dominick DellaSala, Chief Scientist at Wild Heritage, a project of the Earth Island Institute. Dr. DellaSala came on The Landscape twice last year to talk about the Biden administration’s plans to protect mature and old growth forests. He recently wrote an op-ed for the Seattle Times in which […] The post What Biden…

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How Utah’s land grab lawsuit could harm hunting in the West 34:44

11M ago34:44

34:44

Kate and Aaron are joined by Backcountry Hunters & Anglers CEO Patrick Berry to talk about why Utah’s lawsuit seeking control of over 18 million acres of national public land in the state would be terrible for sportsmen across the West. News Other states urge Supreme Court to hear Utah federal land case – E&E […] The post How Utah’s land grab lawsu…

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How climate, crowds, and colonialism are complicating the concept of Wilderness 30:25

12M ago30:25

30:25

Kate and guest host Sterling are joined by journalist and producer Marissa Ortega-Welch to talk about her new podcast series, How Wild, which was recently released by KALW and distributed by NPR. The podcast explores how the concept of capital W wilderness is changing due to climate change, technology, crowding, and shifting views on colonialism. […

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Meet the proposed Kw’tsán National Monument—a 390,000 acre landscape in the California desert 35:02

12M ago35:02

35:02

Aaron and Kate are joined by members of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe to talk about the proposed Kw’tsán National Monument in southern California. This is part of our Road to 30 postcards series, in which we highlight local efforts to protect iconic landscapes around the country. A Tribal elder, a Tribal youth, and […] The post Meet the propos…

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From villain to hero: the Devil’s Hole pupfish could save this desert community 35:23

1y ago35:23

35:23

Kate and Aaron talk to Inside Climate News reporter Wyatt Myskow about an incredible story he wrote about what’s unfolding in Nevada’s Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, where the endangered Devil’s Hole pupfish is undergoing a rebrand from villain to hero. Click here for a transcript of this episode. News The National Monuments Disinformation B…

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How nuts is Utah’s land grab lawsuit? We ask law professor John Leshy 37:12

1y ago37:12

37:12

In this episode of the Landscape, Kate and Aaron discuss Utah’s attempt to sue the federal government for control of over 18 million acres of federal public land with John Leshy, Professor Emeritus, University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. Leshy served as Solicitor (General Counsel) of the U.S. Department of the Interior […] The …

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Episode 200! (Behind the scenes at CWP) 53:40

1y ago53:40

53:40

The whole Center for Western Priorities team sits down to talk about what brought us each into conservation work, and recount some of the most memorable moments we've had as public lands advocates. The post Episode 200! (Behind the scenes at CWP) appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.By Center for Western Priorities

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The future of Lake Powell with Zak Podmore 49:44

1y ago49:44

49:44

Kate talks to author Zak Podmore about his upcoming book, Life After Deadpool: Lake Powell’s Last Days and the Rebirth of the Colorado River, which explores various aspects of Lake Powell’s emptying due to drought, from how to replace the loss of hydropower to how wildlife and plant life is returning to Glen Canyon as […] The post The future of Lak…

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Hitting the trail with Disabled Hikers founder Syren Nagakyrie 22:12

1y ago22:12

22:12

Kate and Aaron talk to Syren Nagakyrie, founder and director of Disabled Hikers, a nonprofit group seeking to make the outdoors more accessible for people with disabilities. Nagakyrie has been outspoken about the tokenization of disabled hikers by U.S. Senator Mike Lee, who recently filed a bill called the Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act th…

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How an Instagram ‘joke’ turned into an outdoor LGBTQ community 46:30

1y ago46:30

46:30

Aaron and Kate talk to Dr. Hitesh Tolani, creator of the Gays of National Parks Instagram account, which is aimed at fostering community among LGBTQ people through a love of the outdoors. Hitesh began the account as a joke in 2022, but it has since grown into a community with over 15,000 followers. Hitesh talks […] The post How an Instagram ‘joke’ …

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Reporter Murphy Woodhouse on the future of wildfire season 58:20

1+ y ago58:20

58:20

Murphy Woodhouse covers wildfires and wildfire policy across the West, informed by his past experience as a wildland firefighter. In a wide-ranging discussion, Murphy talks about the bleak state of wildfire pay, the possibility of much of the West becoming uninsurable because of wildfire risk, and much more. The post Reporter Murphy Woodhouse on th…

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Protecting the Mimbres Peaks in Southern New Mexico

1+ y ago

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The proposed Mimbres Peaks National Monument would add protections for lands overseen by the Bureau of Land Management in Luna County, New Mexico near the city of Deming. The collaborative effort is locally-led by elected leaders, business owners, economic development advocates, hunters, youth leaders, conservationists, and students. The proposal w…

1
A huge step forward for public lands in Alaska

1+ y ago

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Aaron and Kate are joined by Kristen Miller, Executive Director of the Alaska Wilderness League, to talk about some big steps to protect public lands in Alaska made by the Biden administration this spring. They include increased protections for 13 million acres inside the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, as well as the cancellation of a proposed …

1
Behind the scenes of the Bears Ears draft management plan 25:46

1+ y ago25:46

25:46

Aaron and Kate are joined by Davina Smith, who represents the Navajo Nation on the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, and Lauren Henson, who is the Collaborative Management and Tribal Support Specialist for the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, to talk about the Bears Ears draft monument management plan, which came out in March. We talk about […] …

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Why April was a huge month for public lands 38:33

1+ y ago38:33

38:33

Kate and Aaron are joined by the Wilderness Society’s Michael Carroll and Justin Meuse to talk through a handful of federal regulations, or rules, that were finalized in late March and April. These rules touch on everything from methane waste on public lands to ecosystem restoration to caribou herds in Alaska. Some of these rules […] The post Why A…

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Swimming upstream with Trout Unlimited 48:07

1+ y ago48:07

48:07

Kate and Aaron are joined by Trout Unlimited CEO Chris Wood, who has been with TU for twenty years, following a career as chief policy director at the U.S. Forest Service during the Clinton administration. Chris talks about how an influx of federal funding for ecosystem restoration is supercharging the group’s work reconnecting streams and […] The …

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Talking public lands extremism with Betsy Gaines Quammen 1:02:52

1+ y ago1:02:52

1:02:52

Kate and Aaron are joined by author Betsy Gaines Quammen to talk about public lands and extremism. Betsy has written two books about extremism in the West. Her first, American Zion, looks at the connection between Mormonism and extremism. Her second book, True West, which came out last year, digs into the myths that define […] The post Talking publ…

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Will lithium mining dry up the West? 47:49

1+ y ago47:49

47:49

Kate and Aaron are joined by three members of the reporting team behind, Lithium Liabilities, a groundbreaking investigation into how lithium mining could affect the West’s water supply. Emma Peterson, Morgan Casey, and Lauren Mucciolo are part of a large team of editors, photographers, and reporters who worked on the investigation at the Howard Ce…

1
What Western voters want in 2024 36:15

1+ y ago36:15

36:15

Kate and Aaron are joined by pollsters Lori Weigel and Dave Metz to discuss the 14th Annual Colorado College State of the Rockies Project Conservation in the West poll. The poll surveys voters in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Colorado on their environmental views. This year, it found support for conservation […] The…

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More solar on public lands? Digging into BLM’s plan 33:31

1+ y ago33:31

33:31

Kate and Aaron are joined by Justin Meuse, Director of Government Relations for Climate and Energy at the Wilderness Society, to talk about a proposal from the Bureau of Land Management to prioritize around 22 million acres of public land for utility scale solar development across the West. They discuss why planning matters, how much […] The post M…

1
Uranium mining returns to the Colorado Plateau 43:11

1+ y ago43:11

43:11

Driven by high uranium prices, domestic uranium mining has resumed at three locations in the U.S. after an eight-year hiatus. Kate and Aaron are joined by Amber Reimondo, Energy Director at the Grand Canyon Trust and Scott Clow, Environmental Programs Director for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, to discuss how that will impact the Grand […] The post Ur…

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Inside the Foundation for America’s Public Lands 42:43

1+ y ago42:43

42:43

Kate and Aaron are joined by I Ling Thompson, CEO of The Foundation for America’s Public Lands. The Foundation is the official charitable partner of the Bureau of Land Management. Its job is to engage with local communities and the public on behalf of the agency. Thompson discusses the challenges the BLM faces and how […] The post Inside the Founda…

Center For Western Priorities Podcasts