This week in the Outdoor Minimalist public lands news review, we cover:

• USDA’s major reorganization plan

  • What it means for the U.S. Forest Service and wildfire response

  • How agency relocations and office closures could impact conservation work

  • Centralization of services like civil rights, tribal affairs, and grants management

• H.R. 1 “The Big Ugly Bill” with 🎙️ Guest: Justin Meuse, Government Relations Director for Climate and Energy at The Wilderness Society

  • How it opens up over 200 million acres of public lands to oil and gas drilling

• Federal funding updates

  • Budget cuts to the National Wildlife Refuge System

  • EPA enforcement and staffing reductions

• Culture war policy in parks

  • Enactment of proposals to restrict education on climate change, Indigenous history, and LGBTQ+ history in National Parks

• State-level conservation wins

  • Vermont’s wildlife corridor law

  • Texas’ vote to protect the Fairfield Lake site

  • New York’s new bird-safe buildings legislation

  • Virginia’s trail access protections

Subscribe to the full newsletter at theoutdoorminimalist.com

Have tips, testimonials, or insights on public land changes? Submit them through our Google Form (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/JwC73G8wLvU6kedc9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Links & Resources:

• ⁠Wilderness Society: “Open for Drilling” Report⁠ (https://www.wilderness.org/articles/press-release/map-reveals-200-million-acres-now-open-oil-and-gas-drilling)

• ⁠Refuge Association on House Budget Cuts⁠ (https://www.refugeassociation.org/press-releases/2025/7/23/house-funding-bill-chips-away-at-national-wildlife-refuges-with-deep-cuts-amp-damaging-riders)

  American Bird Conservancy State Legislation Wins⁠ (https://abcbirds.org/news/state-legislation-wins-july-2025/)

In episode 190 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we’re discussing urgent threats facing wildlife protections in the United States: the ongoing dismantling of the Endangered Species Act under the Trump Administration. 

The ESA has long been considered the backbone of wildlife conservation in this country, credited with saving iconic species like the bald eagle and the gray wolf. 

But legislative and administrative changes are eroding the very foundation of this landmark law and pushing for changes that could reshape how, or even if, we protect threatened and endangered species in the years to come.

Joining me to break this all down is Ramona McGee, Senior Attorney and Wildlife Program Leader at the Southern Environmental Law Center. Based in North Carolina, Ramona has been on the legal front lines for nearly a decade, defending the rich and often overlooked biodiversity of the South.

In this conversation, we explore what’s at stake if the legal definition of “harm” disappears from federal wildlife protections, how these changes could affect ecosystems and communities across the South, and the industries poised to benefit from deregulation.

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Southern Environmental Law Center

Website: https://www.selc.org/

Ramona McGee: https://www.selc.org/staff/ramona-mcgee/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernenvironment/

Podcast: https://www.selc.org/broken-ground-podcast/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southern-environmental-law-center/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/selcva

From staffing crises in national parks to energy dominance expansion across millions of acres of public land, here’s what you need to know:

FY26 Budget Breakdown: The House released its draft Interior-EPA spending bill, proposing deep cuts to conservation, environmental protection, and public lands. Including:

• $213M cut to the National Park Service, amid a 24% staffing loss

• 23% EPA budget cut, gutting water, air, and environmental justice programs

Public Lands Open for Drilling: ConocoPhillips wants to expand its Willow Project with new test wells in the Western Arctic. Meanwhile, Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” opens over 200 million acres of federal land to oil and gas drilling.

• 81% of BLM lands in the West now open to leasing

• Quarterly lease sales mandated, even without industry interest

• Drilling proposed in San Luis Obispo County, CA

DOE’s Dirty Grid Report: The Department of Energy is propping up coal plants under a new Trump executive order, claiming fossil fuels are needed for grid reliability.

Burgum's Alcatraz Visit Sparks Backlash: Interior Secretary Doug Burgum visited Alcatraz to assess reopening it as a prison for “dangerous criminals,” per Trump’s May directive. But the site draws over 1 million visitors annually and generates $60M/year.

Public Broadcasting Cuts Approved: The House approved a rescission package eliminating $1.1 billion in CPB funding, gutting local public media nationwide.

👉 Follow us on Instagram (@outdoor.minimalist.book) for quick news breakdowns and action alerts.

Have tips, testimonials, or insights on public land changes? Submit them through our Google Form (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/JwC73G8wLvU6kedc9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Listen to Last Monday's Interview with Land Tawney: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/189-trumps-big-ugly-bill-passed-without-land-sales/id1586174667?i=1000717199476

Episode Sources:

Fiscal Year 2026 Budget

https://www.npca.org/articles/9650-parks-group-to-congress-our-national-parks-need-more-staff-and-funding-not 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Fiscal-Year-2026-Discretionary-Budget-Request.pdf 

https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-appropriations.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/fy26-interior%2C-environment%2C-and-related-agencies-bill-sumnmary-subcommittee.pdf 

https://www.eenews.net/articles/house-releases-interior-epa-spending-bill-with-deep-cuts/ 

Staff Cuts Continue

https://www.resistancerangers.org/press/futher-cuts-will-irreparably-harm-parks 

https://protectnps.org/2025/07/09/supreme-court-ruling-greenlights-mass-layoffs-parks-groups-warn-national-parks-and-thousands-of-park-staff-in-jeopardy/

Public Lands Open for Drilling

https://www.wilderness.org/articles/press-release/conocophillips-pursues-reckless-exploration-western-arctic# 

https://www.wilderness.org/articles/press-release/map-reveals-200-million-acres-now-open-oil-and-gas-drilling 

https://www.wilderness.org/sites/default/files/media/file/Open%20for%20Drilling_TWS%20Report_0.pdf 

https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article310421755.html

Department of Energy

https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/doe-plans-prop-dirty-coal-plants 

https://www.energy.gov/topics/reliability

Burgum Visit's Acatraz

https://www.npca.org/articles/9815-parks-group-rejects-transfer-proposal-for-alcatraz 

https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/secretary-interior-doug-burgum-and-attorney-general-pam-bondi-visit-alcatraz-island

Public Broadcasting Cuts

https://apnews.com/article/pbs-npr-budget-cuts-trump-republicans-b0044285659ab708e23eb2dc2f3eabfa

Banning Ranch Becomes Southern California’s Newest Nature Preserve

https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/orange-county-randall-preserve-20770791.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Michigan’s Mariners Preserve Opens for Public Access

https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/saginaw-basin-land-conservancy-open-mariners-20769361.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Remember when Mike Lee’s 3.3 million-acre land sales were making headlines, what felt like every few seconds? 

It was all over social media; every conservation organization was talking about it, and even friends of mine who had never been very civically involved gathered the gumption to call their senators. 

Well, despite the fact that as a collective, we rallied together to defeat all three of Mike Lee’s most recent attempts to sell public lands, Trump’s Big “Ugly” Bill passed in the Senate, and within the hundreds of pages of legislation, many public lands attacks remained. 

While I do my best to cover most public lands news every Friday on this podcast, hearing from others in the outdoor advocacy community can shed light on things we may not have considered and help foster conversations needed to continue this fight. 

That’s why I am excited to introduce Land Tawney to episode 189 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast. 

Land is co-chair of American Hunters & Anglers, an energetic, media-based organization built on holding policy makers accountable through fast-paced grassroots advocacy. 

Tawney is a nationally renowned advocate of public land and wildlife. For a decade, he was president and CEO of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, where under his leadership, BHA grew exponentially, expanding to 48 states and into Canada, garnering 40,000 members, and building an army of public land defenders. 

Land has testified before Congress on behalf of the Boundary Waters and has served on numerous federal advisory councils in support of hunting, fishing and conservation. 

He has held roles with the National Wildlife Federation, where he launched their Vanishing Paradise campaign in support of the Gulf Coast, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. 

His 25 years of experience as an advocate, leader and sportsman make him just as comfortable in the duck blind and trout stream as he is on Capitol Hill.

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Land Tawney

American Hunters and Anglers: https://www.americanhuntersandanglers.org/

AHA Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1C0w7HMWwE

AHA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americanhuntersanglers/

Land Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/landtawney/

Land LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/land-tawney-a5272345/

Wilderness Society: https://www.wilderness.org/

In this week’s episode, we cover sweeping public lands news from June 30 to July 11, including:

• The "Trump Tax" and what it means for public lands, drilling, and park funding (https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text)

• The environmental impact of Alligator Alcatraz and community-led legal resistance (https://www.everglades.org/stop-alligator-alcatraz/)

• SCOTUS ruling greenlighting federal workforce layoffs (https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24A1174/362080/20250602120234175_Trump_v_AFGE_Stay_Appl_2.pdf)

• Good news: California’s 30×30 milestone and the Okefenokee land deal

For today’s episode, we’re featuring a conversation Meg recorded with Nick Mucha, one of the editors of Patagonia’s new book: Tools to Save Our Home Planet: A Changemaker’s Guidebook and Patagonia's Senior Director of Environmental Issues and Strategy.

This collection brings together wisdom, stories, and strategies from over 50 environmental and justice-focused activists working on the front lines of climate action around the world.

The book was created to serve as both a call to action and a practical guide helping activists, organizers, and everyday people build skills in communications, fundraising, legal tools, mobilization, and collective action, especially during this turbulent political moment. 

It’s an inspiring and honest conversation about balancing hope with realism, finding your place in this work, and how each of us can turn concern for the planet into meaningful action.

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Tools to Save Our Home Planet: https://www.patagonia.com/product/tools-to-save-our-home-planet-a-changemakers-guidebook/BK925.html?dwvar_BK925_color=000

Tools for Grassroots Activists: https://www.patagonia.com/product/tools-for-grassroots-activists-paperback-book/BK740.html

Patagonia Activism Stories: https://www.patagonia.com/stories/activism/

Patagonia Action Works: https://www.patagonia.com/actionworks/home/choose-location/

This week, we’re breaking down one of the biggest public land threats in U.S. history.

I sat down with Joshua Axelrod, Senior Policy Advocate at NRDC, to unpack the ongoing federal budget reconciliation process and how it’s being used to mandate the largest public land sell-offs ever proposed.

We cover:

• The latest updates on the proposal to sell 1.2 million acres of BLM-managed land

• How the Senate Parliamentarian’s ruling reshaped — but didn’t stop — the land sale proposal

• The massive oil, gas, and coal leasing mandates hidden in the bill, both onshore and offshore

👉 Call your senators before July 4th and demand they oppose public land sell-offs and environmental rollbacks in the Senate’s version of the budget bill.

(https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm)

👉 Follow us on Instagram (@outdoor.minimalist.book) for quick news breakdowns and action alerts.

Have tips, testimonials, or insights on public land changes? Submit them through our Google Form (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/JwC73G8wLvU6kedc9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

From greenwashed marketing campaigns to the real, tangible challenges of sourcing natural materials and overhauling entrenched supply chains, creating truly sustainable clothing is no small feat. 

And no one knows this better than today’s guests: Meli and Rensso Hinostroza, the sibling co-founders behind Arms of Andes.

Born in California and raised between the U.S. and Peru, Meli and Rensso have built a brand rooted in their heritage and a mission to reconnect people with nature through minimalist, purpose-driven design. 

Specializing in alpaca wool apparel, they’re confronting the realities of working within a global manufacturing system that wasn’t built for sustainability.

In this conversation, we explore what it actually takes to make garments from 100% natural fibers, how to navigate trade-offs between durability, performance, and environmental impact, and how brands can (and should) communicate sustainability claims with honesty. 

If you’ve ever wondered what goes into making that "eco-friendly" base layer you bought for your last backpacking trip, or how to spot genuine sustainability from greenwashed marketing, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

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Arms of Andes

Website: https://armsofandes.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/armsofandes

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@armsofandes

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/armsofandes

This week we cover:

• The Senate budget bill provision to sell 2–3.3 million acres of public land in 11 western states.

• The broad implications of bypassing environmental review, public comment, and Tribal consultation.

• New BLM oil and gas lease sales in Colorado, Wyoming, and the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

• A timber sale in southern Oregon raising questions about cumulative extraction impacts.

• A new USGS report revealing enormous oil and gas potential under public lands — and what that means for future battles over public land use.

• Trump’s revocation of the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement and withdrawal from federal salmon recovery commitments in the Northwest.

• A conservation win led by the Miccosukee Tribe in Florida as they expand collaborative stewardship over 18 million acres of critical habitat.

The most urgent issue this week is the proposed 3.3 million-acre public land sale in the Senate budget bill.

👉 Call your senators before July 4th and demand they oppose public land sell-offs and environmental rollbacks in the Senate’s version of the budget bill.

👉 Follow us on Instagram (@outdoor.minimalist.book) for quick news breakdowns and action alerts.

Have tips, testimonials, or insights on public land changes? Submit them through our Google Form (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/JwC73G8wLvU6kedc9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Maps, resources, and contact tools:

• Outdoor Alliance Public Land Risk Map & Blog (https://www.outdooralliance.org/blog/2025/6/16/33millionacres-publicland-selloffs-map)

  Wilderness Society Analysis⁠ (⁠https://www.wilderness.org/articles/press-release/new-analysis-250-million-acres-eligible-sale-newly-updated-budget-rec-bill⁠)

• Senate Energy Committee Budget Bill Text (https://www.energy.senate.gov/services/files/DF7B7FBE-9866-4B69-8ACA-C661A4F18096)

• Center for Biological Diversity Coalition Letter (https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/100-groups-urge-senate-leadership-against-public-lands-sell-off-in-budget-bill-2025-06-18/)

• Oil & Gas Potential Report Release (https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-releases-major-update-oil-and-gas-potential-beneath-us-public-lands)

• BLM Alaska Petroleum Reserve Plan (https://www.blm.gov/press-release/doi-moves-expand-oil-and-gas-development-alaskas-national-petroleum-reserve)

• Trump Plan for the Western Arctic (Wilderness Society) (https://www.wilderness.org/articles/press-release/trump-plan-western-arctic-threatens-worsen-climate-crisis)

• Wyoming Oil & Gas Lease Comment Period (https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-seeks-input-december-2025-sale-oil-and-gas-leases-wyoming)

• Colorado Oil & Gas Lease Comment Period (https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-seeks-public-comment-december-2025-oil-and-gas-lease-sale-colorado)

• Southern Oregon Timber Sale (https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-timber-sale-offer-21-million-board-feet-southern-oregon)

• Columbia Riverkeeper Statement & Update (https://www.columbiariverkeeper.org/2025/trump-cancels-salmon-agreement/)

• Official Presidential Memorandum (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/06/stopping-radical-environmentalism-to-generate-power-for-the-columbia-river-basin/)

• Guardian coverage: Miccosukee Tribe leads major Florida land conservation effort (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/15/miccosukee-tribe-florida-wildlife-corridor-foundation)

We've discussed the many issues with travel on this show before, and while travel is never really that "good" for the environment, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't ever do it. 

Instead, I believe that we as travelers can and should find better, more environmentally friendly ways to travel, and the travel industry should lead the way. 

That's why in episode 186 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we're looking at one of the biggest challenges that face the adventure travel industry: climate change.

If you've spent time on the trail, paddling rivers, or exploring wild places lately, you've probably noticed things are changing quickly. From record-breaking heat waves to trail closures due to wildfires and floods, the landscapes we love are under much pressure.

But while it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the challenges, there's also a growing movement within the travel industry to do better — to adapt, give back, and rethink what it means to adventure responsibly in a changing climate.

To help unpack this, I'm joined by Leigh Barnes.

Leigh serves as President of the Americas for Intrepid Travel, a world leader in responsible travel for 35 years. The company's mission is to create positive change through the joy of travel, which comes to life on more than 900 trips, all designed to truly experience local culture. 

Based in the Pacific Northwest, Leigh oversees Intrepid's fastest-growing region globally. Over the past decade, he's held several leadership roles at Intrepid, including Chief Purpose Officer and Chief Customer Officer. 

Leigh has been instrumental in embedding purpose into the company's product, storytelling, and brand—from launching First Nations experiences in Australia and the U.S. to pioneering industry-first Ethical Marketing Guidelines.

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Intrepid Travel

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