Ellen Noble - professional cyclocross and mountain biker Thankful to have connected with Ellen earlier this year as she just arrived to Tucson, AZ. We had a great conversation on her career, setbacks, goals, motivations, and what the year ahead (and beyond) will entail. She’s got a great personality and drive, dies an incredible job at sharing her story and connecting with others. She’s just announced her plans and sponsors for this year. Be sure to find her online, if you don’t already. And wish her the best moving forward. Apple podcasts : https://apple.co/3aKBv2A SoundCloud: https://bit.ly/2vPVbU9 https://racing.trekbikes.com/stories/regional-teams/ellen-noble-races-down-a-new-path https://ellennoble.com Twitter @EllenLikesBikes Instagram @EllenLikesBikes Facebook Facebook.com/EllenNobleCyclist SnapChat @EllenLikesBikes Quest Camp 2020 ( https://ellennoble.com/2020-quest/ )

Mathew Nelson - Executive Director, Arizona Trail Thankful to connect with Matt recently. I reached out to him because I thought he would be a great person to connect the complexities that go into allowing all of us outdoor enthusiasts, our spaces and places to do the things we love. We go over a bit of his background and how he found his way yo Arizona, and to the position of Executive Director, what that entails, the complexity of maintaining and finishing the Arizona Trail. Where funding for the AZ trail comes from, how it’s up kept, plans for the future, constant work that needs to be done, etc. We also cover a bit if where funding at the national level comes from for public lands like National forests, wilderness areas, National parks, state trust lands, native/reservation land, private lands - how important it is to understand this and contribute in your own way, not taking things for grated. Matt has been the Executive Director since 2012, written hundreds of articles on it, wrote the book complete guide to the trail, among many other roles as Executive Director. He’s also driving around in a Toyota Tacoma ! Which was donated by the Valley Toyota Dealers, so shoutout to those folks helping support and connect all types of outdoor recreation activities. Below you’ll find the links to the podcast/interview - but also please dive into the info regarding public lands and where funding comes from, be informed, supporting of keeping them available for years and decades to come, and stay involved. ARIZONA TRAIL https://aztrail.org (learn more and explore the site, including maps, meet ups, volunteering, upcoming events, donating, tips, gear, and much more) BLM - History - https://www.blm.gov/about/history/timeline Budget - https://www.blm.gov/about/budget How BLM manages - https://www.blm.gov/about/how-we-manage STATE TRUST LAND Beneficiaries- https://land.az.gov/our-agency-mission/beneficiaries Map of land - https://land.az.gov/sites/default/files/media/state.pdf Auctions - https://land.az.gov/reports-notices Applications// permits - https://land.az.gov/applications-permits WILDERNESS designation Mission - https://www.wilderness.org/our-mission-timeline FAQ’s - https://www.wilderness.org/articles/article/wilderness-designation-faqs NATIONAL FOREST SERVICE (https://www.fs.usda.gov) Managing land - https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land Laws and regulations of NFS - https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/regulations-policies/laws-regulations Budget - https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/budget-performance NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (https://www.nps.gov/) about - https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/management.htm Budget - https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/budget.htm Laws on national parks - https://www.nps.gov/subjects/legal/national-park-service-laws-up-to-1933.htm LWCF - land and water conservation fund https://www.nps.gov/subjects/lwcf/index.htm (gov website ) https://www.lwcfcoalition.com (watchdog site) https://www.lwcfcoalition.com/tools Volunteer // donation // Arizona Game and Fish department- https://www.azgfd.com PITTMAN AND ROBERTSON WILDLIFE RESTORATION ACT - (Short video explanation- https://youtu.be/sTJWMlH5QpQ ) https://legcounsel.house.gov/Comps/Pittman-robertson%20Wildlife%20Restoration%20Act.pdf https://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/FAWILD.HTML Dingell - Johnson Act - https://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/FASPORT.HTML ) similar time P-R but for fishing ( article showing decline in hunter/fishers and impact) -https://www.npr.org/2018/03/20/593001800/decline-in-hunters-threatens-how-u-s-pays-for-conservation Native American Land - https://www.bia.gov/bia Indian land Tenure/history - https://iltf.org/land-issues/history/ Indian land issues - https://iltf.org/land-issues/issues/