In this episode of the Backcountry Report, we cover proposed data centers on federal lands, a new hunting-and-fishing executive order, the final push to defend the Roadless Rule, and a collaborative public-lands bill in Montana. Plus, hear how BHA chapters celebrated Public Lands Day with habitat education, cleanup and wildlife-friendly fencing projects, and a rally for public water access.

Show Notes:

Help Us Get to 1 Million Signatures and Save Our Public Lands - https://www.savepubliclands.us/

Roadless Rule: A Closer Look at the Record: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details/roadless-rule-a-closer-look-at-the-record

Roadless Rule: Take Action - https://takeaction.io/bha/maintain-national-forest-roadless-areas/

Reinvigorating America's Hunting Heritage Executive Order Breakdwon: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/Portals/0/Documents/BHA_Explainer_ExecutiveOrder14429.pdf

Trick Your Basecamp Sweepstakes: https://go.bhafundraising.org/trickyourbasecamp/Campaign/Details

Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists.

BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE.

Follow us:

Web: www.backcountryhunters.org

Instagram: @backcountryhunters

Facebook: @backcountryhunters

This week on Backcountry Conversations, host Trey Curtiss is joined by two BHA staffers: Mary Glaves, BHA's Alaska Program Manager, and Jack Polentes, who works on federal policy out of Washington, D.C. They recently joined members of BHA's Alaska chapter on a five-day, roughly 53-mile float down the Middle Fork of the Koyukuk River to document a landscape at the center of one of Alaska's biggest conservation fights: the proposed Ambler Industrial Road. The 211-mile, gated industrial road would run west from the Dalton Highway to the Ambler mining district, crossing 11 major rivers and requiring more than 2,900 culverts across permafrost. Mary and Jack describe the drive north from Fairbanks, a moving launch ceremony on the river, finding safe gravel-bar camps during a a 24-hour rainstorm that flooded the river, and the signs of development they saw along the way, including 37 helicopters in five days, freshly cut landing zones near a proposed bridge site, and a reactivated mining camp.

The conversation also covers what they heard from the people who live, work, and hunt in the region, including trappers and residents in Bettles and Evansville, a longtime big-game guide, and even a career mining surveyor who called the project "in the wrong place." Their concerns range from disrupted moose hunting and risks to bush-plane traffic to the road's lack of public access and a proposed hunting and trapping ban along the corridor. Jack contrasts these on-the-ground views with the conversation in Washington, D.C., where he sees a wide disconnect. Both guests explain why this corner of the Brooks Range deserves national attention and how listeners can stay informed and speak up, including through the Hunters & Anglers for the Brooks Range coalition and by taking action today at BHA's Safeguard the Brooks Range campaign.

In Episode 7 of the Backcountry Report, Chris reports from the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Annual Meeting and covers major conservation news, including Minnesota's Boundary Waters mining debate, NOAA's revised recreational fishing data, proposed Clean Water Act changes, and the future of the Roadless Rule and Forest Service travel management. The episode also features updates from Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, and Texas, plus ways to support public lands during Public Lands Month.

Show Notes:

Help Us Get to 1 Million Signatures and Save Our Public Lands - https://www.savepubliclands.us/

Roadless Rule: A Closer Look at the Record: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details/roadless-rule-a-closer-look-at-the-record

Roadless Rule: Take Action - https://takeaction.io/bha/maintain-national-forest-roadless-areas/

Travel Management: Take Action - https://takeaction.io/bha/speak-up-for-responsible-travel-management-on-our-national-forests/

Outdoor Life - EPA to Reopen Comment on Clean Water Act Rewrite That Could Leave 80 Percent of U.S. Wetlands Unprotected https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/epa-wotus-public-comment/

Colorado's Ammendment 83 - https://www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details/amendment-83-colorados-right-to-hunt-and-fish

Texas BHA Adopt-An-Access Initiative: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details/texas-bha-chapter-and-tpwd-enter-agreement-for-adopt-an-access-initiative

Forged & Found Online Auction - https://go.bhafundraising.org/forgedandfound26/Campaign/Details

Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists.

BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE.

Follow us:

Web: www.backcountryhunters.org

Instagram: @backcountryhunters

Facebook: @backcountryhunters

In this episode we are going to explore Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) preparedness and prevention in the Northeast. As you might know, the Northeast is currently the last CWD free region in the country. We'll hear from experts in zoonotic disease and learn some of the ways that state agencies and BHA are working to protect our wild deer herds and quite possibly the future of deer hunting and conservation as we know it in the Northeast

Guests Include

Krysten Schuler, PhD. Department of Public & Ecosystem Health. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

Mike Woods. New England BHA Chapter Chair.

Show Related Links

Cornell Wildlife Health Lab

Chris kicks the show off with a tribute to Wendell Berry, who died this week at 92, and the language he gave hunters for understanding their place in the food chain. In conservation news, Governor Walz signs an executive order blocking mining near the Boundary Waters, juvenile silver carp are found closer than ever to Lake Michigan while the Brandon Road barrier sits idle under administrative review, and the Trump administration pressures the Park Service toward an unprecedented land exchange inside Yosemite. Policy Watch covers the Roadless Rule DEIS, the Travel Management rewrite, and a questionable 20,000-acre land transfer in Alaska. Plus: Minnesota BHA wins the Outdoor Leaders Award, voices from the Kankakee Jamboree, and a roundup of Public Lands Month events and giveaways.

Show Notes:

Help Us Get to 1 Million Signatures and Save Our Public Lands - https://www.savepubliclands.us/

Roadless Rule: A Closer Look at the Record: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details/roadless-rule-a-closer-look-at-the-record

Roadless Rule: Take Action - https://takeaction.io/bha/maintain-national-forest-roadless-areas/

Travel Management: Take Action - https://takeaction.io/bha/speak-up-for-responsible-travel-management-on-our-national-forests/

Proposed Alaskan Land Transfer - https://www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details/opportunity-to-comment-on-the-proposed-land-transfer-in-houston-ak

Minnesota Chapter Wins Outdoor Leaders Award - https://www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details/minnesota-bha-chapter-wins-2026-outdoor-leaders-award-for-public-lands-stewardship

Forged & Found Online Auction - https://go.bhafundraising.org/forgedandfound26/Campaign/Details

Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists.

BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE.

Follow us:

Web: www.backcountryhunters.org

Instagram: @backcountryhunters

Facebook: @backcountryhunters

Twenty-five years ago, the Forest Service made one of the most consequential land management decisions in its history: protecting nearly 60 million acres of national forest from new roads and logging. That protection — the Roadless Rule — is now on the chopping block, with the USDA formally proposing to rescind it and a public comment period open through September 21. In this episode, we sit down with Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited, who helped write the rule from inside the Forest Service back in 2001 and has spent the decades since defending it.

Chris breaks down the real economic, ecological, and cultural reasons the rule exists in the first place — from a $8.5 billion road maintenance backlog to jaw-dropping habitat numbers (75% of Idaho's Chinook and steelhead habitat, for example, sits in roadless country) — and then dismantles the arguments being used to justify tearing it down, including the Forest Service's own data showing roadless areas actually see more wildfire fuel treatment, not less. It's a clear-eyed, fact-first breakdown of what's really at stake for hunters and anglers, and a case for why showing up with data — not just outrage — is how this fight gets won.

Comment on the Roadless Rule before September 21!

Trout Unlimited's Roadless Report

Chris Wood Roadless podcast with Hal Herring

This week on The Backcountry Report, Chris covers major developments affecting public lands, waters and wildlife—from a massive expansion of hunting and fishing opportunities on national wildlife refuges to proposed changes involving tribal water rights and the future of NOAA's Arctic Report Card. The episode also examines the proposed repeal of the 2001 Roadless Rule, Vermont's primitive-camping updates, and border infrastructure construction in and around Big Bend National Park. Plus, hear how BHA volunteers removed a mile of obsolete fencing in Wyoming and learn how you can get involved in stewardship projects nationwide.

Show Notes

• Vermont Primitive Camping Rule Update: https://fpr.vermont.gov/primitive-camping-rule-amendment

Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists.

BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE.

Follow us:

Web: www.backcountryhunters.org

Instagram: @backcountryhunters

Facebook: @backcountryhunters

In this episode, we delve into the fascinating field of Human Dimensions in wildlife and natural resources management. Discover how this discipline is shaping informed decision-making among state and federal agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Whether you're already familiar with the Human Dimensions or hearing about it for the first time, you'll learn how it's helping to address some of our most pressing conservation challenges.

Guests Include

Josh Morse, PhD. University of Vermont

Jody Simoes, Ph.D. Human Dimensions Project Coordinator. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife

Shelby Perry. Wildlands Ecology Director. Northeast Wilderness Trust.

Show Links:

• Journal Article: Ecosystem service assessment of coyote stories reveals tradeoffs from human–coyote interactions in rural Vermont, United States. Conservation Science and Practice. Joshua W. Morse, Cheryl E. Morse, Rachelle K. Gould. October 2024.
• Northeast Wilderness Trust
• Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife

In this episode of the Backcountry Report, Chris dives into the latest conservation news and boots-on-the-ground action from across the BHA community. We explore a surprising connection between air pollution and wildlife behavior, looking at how pollutants are degrading the natural "smellscape" that animals rely on to survive. Then, we break down urgent policy updates, including a critical public comment period on wetland drain tile setbacks and a major review of Wilderness Study Area management. Finally, we highlight inspiring volunteer efforts from Minnesota to California, featuring a partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps to deliver water to endangered desert bighorn sheep. Plus, get the details on upcoming chapter events you won't want to miss.

Show Notes

• Pollution is Changing the Smells of Nature, With Risks for Wildlife: https://e360.yale.edu/features/smellscapes
• Wilderness Study Areas: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/15/2026-11951/policy-review-blm-manual-6320-considering-lands-with-wilderness-characteristics-in-the-blm-land-use
• Wetland Drain Tile Setback Action Alert: https://t akeaction.io/bha/comment-to-conserve-wetlands-with-science-based-drain-tile-setbacks-2/
• North Carolina Banquet: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/events/eventid/4870/e/north-carolina-chapter-4th-annual-conservation-banquet-durham-nc-8-aug-2026
• Busting Clays in Western PA: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/events/eventid/5181/e/2026-badlands-classic-3d-archery-shoot-medora-nd-8-aug-2026
• North Dakota Badlands Classic: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/events/eventid/5181/e/2026-badlands-classic-3d-archery-shoot-medora-nd-8-aug-2026

Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists.

BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE.

Follow us:

Web: www.backcountryhunters.org

Instagram: @backcountryhunters

Facebook: @backcountryhunters

In this first installment of our new Backcountry Conversations podcast series, we sit down with BHA Director of Development Trey Curtiss for a follow-up to Trey's popular April 2025 episode with Hal Herring — the one where he described killing an over-the-counter bull elk eleven years running on public land. A year later, the obvious question: did he find number twelve? Or did we jinx him with that episode?

Trey walks through a general Montana season from archery to rifle. Along the way he gets into the things that actually make the difference back there — glassing timber, deciding where other hunters won't go, the karma he thinks he owes the elk woods, and the nervousness that never quite goes away no matter how many seasons stack up behind you.

Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists.

BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE.

Follow us:

Web: www.backcountryhunters.org

Instagram: @backcountryhunters

Facebook: @backcountryhunters

Summer is in full swing, but fall is on the horizon. In this episode, we dive into major headlines impacting our public lands, from the reduction of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments to a new lease sales in Ohio's only national forest. We break down what these policy shifts really mean for habitat, access, and long-term stewardship. Then, we share some hard-won conservation victories, preview upcoming BHA events, and hear from volunteers doing the essential on-the-ground work.

Show Notes:

Wayne National Forest Oil/Gas Leases: https://eplanning.blm.gov/Project-Home/?id=798d6bf4-a7f2-f011-8407-001dd80bcf93&_gl=1*18w6a6b*_ga*OTU0NTk0MzA0LjE3ODQ1ODk2MzI.*_ga_GQKKTMMT8V*czE3ODQ1ODk2MzIkbzEkZzEkdDE3ODQ1OTA0MzAkajYwJGwwJGgw

MassWildlife Goals for Upland Habitat on WMAs: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/goals-for-upland-habitat-on-masswildlife-lands

onX Roadless Rule - By the Numbers: https://www.onxmaps.com/onx-access-initiatives/roadless-rule

Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists.

BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE.

Follow us:

Web: www.backcountryhunters.org

Instagram: @backcountryhunters

Facebook: @backcountryhunters