The Public Lands Policy Podcast delves into the essential topics shaping the future of public lands in the United States. Join host Andrew Sandstrom, an experienced environmental policy writer and radio commentator, as he brings together voices from Utah, Colorado, and beyond, featuring land managers, ranchers, hunters, and conservation experts. Whether you're passionate about policy, outdoor recreation, or sustainable land management, this podcast provides in-depth conversations on issues impacting public lands, natural resources, and wildlife preservation.
With five years in environmental policy writing and hands-on experience in reporting, Andrew combines expert storytelling and insider knowledge, creating a platform for insightful discussions on topics like land use regulations, conservation challenges, public access, and the impact of policy changes on America's vast landscapes.
Tune in for:
In-depth interviews with experts in public land management, policy-making, and conservation.
Perspectives from local communities and stakeholders invested in sustainable land use.
Key insights into challenges facing public lands in states like Utah and Colorado, where diverse interests collide and cooperation is crucial.
Subscribe to The Public Lands Policy Podcast for a unique perspective on the intricate balance between development, conservation, and the future of public lands in America.
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The Public Lands Policy Podcast delves into the essential topics shaping the future of public lands in the United States. Join host Andrew Sandstrom, an experienced environmental policy writer and radio commentator, as he brings together voices from Utah, Colorado, and beyond, featuring land managers, ranchers, hunters, and conservation experts. Whether you're passionate about policy, outdoor recreation, or sustainable land management, this podcast provides in-depth conversations on issues impacting public lands, natural resources, and wildlife preservation.
With five years in environmental policy writing and hands-on experience in reporting, Andrew combines expert storytelling and insider knowledge, creating a platform for insightful discussions on topics like land use regulations, conservation challenges, public access, and the impact of policy changes on America's vast landscapes.
Tune in for:
In-depth interviews with experts in public land management, policy-making, and conservation.
Perspectives from local communities and stakeholders invested in sustainable land use.
Key insights into challenges facing public lands in states like Utah and Colorado, where diverse interests collide and cooperation is crucial.
Subscribe to The Public Lands Policy Podcast for a unique perspective on the intricate balance between development, conservation, and the future of public lands in America.
We cut fast and cut deep in this episode with “notorious anti-ESG lobbyist” Nephi Cole, who helps us dissect the recent wave of federal layoffs that’s hit public lands agencies in the last month. From the Forest Service to National Parks, thousands of public employees have been sent packing. Nephi explains how the unorthodox approach of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is affecting federal agencies, how the administration's approach seems to be changing, and how to cut fat in federal agencies without cutting muscle.
Politico article on Musk and cabinet secretaries: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/06/trump-cabinet-musk-025093?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
E&E article on federal layoffs: https://www.eenews.net/articles/forest-service-braces-for-up-to-7000-layoffs/
Nephi’s piece in the Gazette: https://gazette.com/opinion/perspective-using-guns-to-drive-a-wedge/article_a03febba-0308-11ef-93fd-9f75c65ed8cd.html
Ridgeline: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55077562-ridgeline
Your Mountain Podcast episode about federal layoffs: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5WVy3QO588qsnRlLR7L4qF?si=00a854a83bdb45dd
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From outcome-based grazing to resurrecting Ice Age megafauna, this episode covers the full spectrum of modern conservation. Isaiah Menning, external affairs manager at the American Conservation Coalition, joins us to discuss his research on conservation leasing and the controversial Public Lands Rule. We dive into how giving ranchers more flexibility could lead to better ecological outcomes, why the Biden administration's conservation leasing proposal sparked such fierce opposition in the West, and yes - the very real possibility of wooly mammoths returning to Alaska in the next few years. Whether you're interested in practical public lands policy or just want to hear about the prospect of prehistoric big game hunting, this episode has something for everyone.
Isaiah's Thesis on Conservation Leasing
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David Willms from the Your Mountain podcast joins us for a rollicking ride through the potential public lands policy shifts after the 2024 election. From the fate of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante to the future of conservation leasing, oil drilling, and the controversial mountain lion hunting initiatives, we dive deep into the policy footballs that could reshape America's landscapes.
The Your Mountain podcast episode on Utah's Lawsuit
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7FQtSRe7WTMdFNcKGDsIgD?si=7f74db11b0cb4935
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/utah-goes-all-in-on-public-lands-disposal-effort/id1395671263?i=1000668431082
David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwillms
David's piece for Meat Eater on Colorado's effort to ban mountain lion hunting: https://www.themeateater.com/conservation/wildlife-management/a-brief-history-of-the-anti-hunting-playbook
Produced by Trout Stream Studios: https://www.troutstreamstudios.com/
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Gabriella Hoffman, Director for the Center for Energy and Conservation at the Independent Women's Forum, joins me to discuss conservation in the presidential election, including Tim Walz’s conservation cosplay and speculation on why more outdoorsmen and -women don’t run for high office. We also talk about ways to educate the masses on hunting and fishing and hit on the potential impact of Colorado's Proposition 127, which could ban Cougar hunting, on wildlife populations and hunting traditions.
The Sportswoman Show
The District of Conservation Podcast
The Public Lands Policy Podcast is produced by Trout Stream Studios. Music was provided by Gavin Greenwood.
Follow me on X at @asandstrom451
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PERC Policy Director Hannah Downey joins us to explain why "fire season" has become as predictable as PSLs at Starbucks - but a lot less enjoyable. From the Ashley National Forest Aspen Project controversy to well-meaning environmental laws accidentally making forests more flammable, Hannah breaks down why forest management is getting trapped between bureaucratic red tape and lawsuit-happy environmental groups. We dive into how Indigenous fire practices got it right centuries ago, why saving trees sometimes means cutting them down, and how some of the environmental attitudes we learned as kids might be doing more harm than good. It's a conversation that's both enlightening and slightly terrifying - kind of like watching a prescribed burn from a safe distance.
Ashley National Forest Aspen Project
Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit
“Good Fire, Bad Fire”
Hannah’s testimony on the Fix Our Forests Act
The Public Lands Policy Podcast is produced by Trout Stream Studios. Music was provided by Gavin Greenwood.
Follow your host on X at @asandstrom451
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Congresswoman Celeste Maloy (UT-02) calls in from the bustling metropolis of Scipio, Utah to discuss her latest work on natural resources issues in Congress. Rep. Maloy brings something rare to Capitol Hill: actual hands-on experience in public lands management. From her days as a soil conservationist to her current role crafting legislation like the FREE Act, Rep. Maloy breaks down how Washington really works (or doesn't) when it comes to Western land management. We dive into the nuts and bolts of permitting, discuss how Congress can make it easier for Good Samaritans to clean up abandoned mines, and look at legislation that would “prove” how American manufacturers are cleaner than their Chinese counterparts. Come for the policy discussion, stay to hear Andrew poorly identify birds.
The FREE Act
The PROVE IT Act
Rep. Maloy’s Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act
The Public Lands Policy Podcast is produced by Trout Stream Studios. Music was provided by Gavin Greenwood.
Follow me on X at @asandstrom451
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Public Lands Policy Podcast delves into the essential topics shaping the future of public lands in the United States. Join host Andrew Sandstrom, an experienced environmental policy writer and radio commentator, as he brings together voices from Utah, Colorado, and beyond, featuring land managers, ranchers, hunters, and conservation experts. Whether you're passionate about policy, outdoor recreation, or sustainable land management, this podcast provides in-depth conversations on issues impacting public lands, natural resources, and wildlife preservation.
With five years in environmental policy writing and hands-on experience in reporting, Andrew combines expert storytelling and insider knowledge, creating a platform for insightful discussions on topics like land use regulations, conservation challenges, public access, and the impact of policy changes on America's vast landscapes.
Tune in for:
In-depth interviews with experts in public land management, policy-making, and conservation.
Perspectives from local communities and stakeholders invested in sustainable land use.
Key insights into challenges facing public lands in states like Utah and Colorado, where diverse interests collide and cooperation is crucial.
Subscribe to The Public Lands Policy Podcast for a unique perspective on the intricate balance between development, conservation, and the future of public lands in America.
