District of Conservation

In Episode 62 of District of Conservation, Gabriella discusses some breaking news from in and around the nation's capital. Here's what she discussed:  Aurelia Skipwith's Confirmation to USFWS She was confirmed last Thursday https://theresurgent.com/2019/12/13/aurelia-skipwith-confirmed-as-new-usfws-director/ BLM Relocation Update AP Article: https://apnews.com/c5fb749bdc022e3781a9a75041534d12...

In Episode 61 of District of Conservation, Gabriella talks with Outdoor Access' Buck Robinson, the company's CMO and co-founder.  Outdoor Access is taking the outdoor industry by storm and has been called  the "Airbnb of the Great Outdoors." The start-up company is dedicated to unlocking the outdoors by making private land more accessible and affordable for all outdoor enthusiasts. They...

In Episode 60 of District of Conservation, Gabriella speaks with Brad Smith of Walton Rods. Brad discusses his journey from outdoor communicator to small business owner/rod maker, shares some perspectives about misconceptions about fly fishing, how social media (especially Instagram) has played an integral role in their business model, why they don't work with influencers, and retells a story of a...

In Episode 59 of District of Conservation, Gabriella interviews High Caliber History's Logan Metesh. Logan is a noted freelance firearms historian. Before branching out on his own, he worked for the Smithsonian Institution, National Park Service, and the NRA Museum. Unlike many in his field, he's a Millennial and one who specializes in firearms.  He discussed:  His background and what le...

On October 26, 2019, five female outdoor communicators became Soque Slayers at Headwaters on the Soque (HOTS). It was the lodge's inaugural Ladies Cast and Blast event. Five women from different states, backgrounds, interest levels, and fishing styles all united by a love of fishing, fly and all, share their experiences from this heavenly slice of northeast Georgia. Here are their fish tales.&nbsp...

In Episode 57 of District of Conservation, Gabriella dissects the gun control bills that will be heard in Virginia's General Assembly come January and why they won't stop crimes but rather criminalize law-abiding gun owners in the state. She also offers three ways to be proactive and fight back these bad bills.  SHOW NOTES:  HB 2 Firearm transfers https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604...

District of Conservation will now drop episodes every Monday. And for the holiday season, we'll double up on episodes on Mondays and Wednesdays.  On Monday, Gabriella will have an episode about the gun control bills that will be heard in Virginia's General Assembly come January. On Wednesday, her group interview with female outdoor writers from her Headwaters on the Soque trip debuts. You don...

Stephanie Vatalaro of Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation is our guest for Episode 55 of District of Conservation.  She serves as the Senior Vice President of Communications and Marketing at the organization, which is based in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.  The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) is a national, non-profit organization that has been leading the d...

Gabriella visited with Ben Cassidy, Chip Honeycutt, and Cyrus Baird at SCI's new DC headquarters on October 21st to see what they're up to, what's going on federally and across the states (in terms of legislation), their new podcast "Tag Soup" debuting, and so much more.  Safari Club International (SCI) is a not-for-profit organization of hunters whose primary missions are to protect the free...

In Episode 53 of District of Conservation, Gabriella discusses the latest outdoor and conservation news AND previews some upcoming interviews on the docket.  Why it's important for Virginia voters to vote for pro-gun candidates on November 5th Dierks Bentley getting fined $139.50 for not fishing with a license. No one is above the law: https://www.coloradoan.com/story/life/2019/10/17/country-...

Joe Kondelis of Western Bear Foundation is BACK on the podcast to talk about what's happening with the grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE)—which comprises portions of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.  When we first spoke to Joe last year, Judge Christensen ruled that a tentative fall 2019 managed grizzly bear hunt  in the region couldn't take place on the grounds that wi...

In Episode 51 of District of Conservation, Gabriella ventured to the Washington, D.C., office of the National Shooting Sports Foundation to sit down with Mark Oliva, the trade association's Director of Public Affairs. NSSF annually puts on SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, and boasts well over 10,000 members.  Mark discussed:  His military career and how he landed in public affairs His rol...

In Episode 50 of District of Conservation, Gabriella interviews award-winning outdoor writer and photographer Ken Perrotte. Ken is an Air Force veteran with decades' long experience in the communications field. He has served as the Fredericksburg Free Land Star's outdoor columnist since 1997, and also serves as the Conservation Field Editor for NWTF's Turkey Country and as Ducks Unlimited Magazine...

In Episode 49 of District of Conservation, Gabriella discusses the following:  What to expect on Season Two of the podcast Whether or not adult onset hunting is an epidemic or not How Aurelia Skipwith's nomination hearing to become the next U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer went

In Episode 48 of District of Conservation, Gabriella discusses the following:  Congressional Democrats pushing the Assault Weapons Ban of 2019 (which would ban most semi-automatic firearms), red flag laws, and universal background checks (plus a plug for WHY MEADOW DIED) A Swedish scientist suggests eating human flesh will curb climate change and better the planet (Gross) The Department of In...

In Episode 47 of District of Conservation, we've got much to celebrate! First, it's our one year anniversary of launching, so this show will be a special one to mark the start of Season II of the podcast.  Gabriella discussed the start of the 2019-2020 hunting season and why it's important to get more adult onset hunters into the field. She also discussed William Perry Pendley, the new BLM De...

In Episode 46 of District of Conservation, Gabriella interviews Jeff Traynor of Furbearer Conservation. Nothing provokes immense reaction from Americans today than any mention of fur or fur-trapping. Celebrities, advocacy groups, and politicians have suggested wearing fur is murder and evil. In recent years, the war on fur has greatly reached new heights.  This year, we saw many states take u...

In Episode 45 of District of Conservation, Gabriella breaks down three important news items. They include:  Newly-unveiled rules changes—or improvements—to the Endangered Species Act, specifically Section 4, 4(d), and 7, were announced by the Department of Interior yesterday to ensure more than 3 percent of listed species are delisted and can be recovered A defense of culling efforts of feral...

In Episode 44 of District of Conservation, Gabriella discusses the start of National Shooting Sports Month, the critical role firearms play in this country, and how August serves as the perfect opportunity to teach people real gun safety and handling.  Notes: National Shooting Sports Month context How excise taxes collected on firearms go back to and pay most of conservation funding (i.e. habitat...

In Episode 43 of District of Conservation, Gabriella chats with Cody McLaughlin—a Republican political operative by day, outdoorsman and conservationist by night and weekend. Cody sits on the board of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance. He was recently recognized as a " 30 Under 30: The Green Generation " winner and Insider NJ's 2019 Insider 100 winner.  He discusses the following on today's epi...

In Episode 42 of District of Conservation, Gabriella discusses her just released interview with Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt up at Sporting Classics Daily.  Prior to becoming the 53rd Interior Secretary, Mr. Bernhardt served as Deputy Interior Secretary under past Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, who exited the Trump administration in December of last year. He also served va...

In Episode 41 of District of Conservation, Gabriella deconstructs the misconceptions about political conservatives and conservation by arguing the two can be reconciled. She also discussed the formation of the Republican-led bicameral Roosevelt Conservation Caucus , her findings at the recent DC Project fly-over , and why Bureau of Land Management moving out West is good for improving stakeholder...

In District of Conservation, Gabriella interviews Lexi Quinn, a newly-retired firefighter and immediate past U.S. Forest Service wildland firefighter. She discusses how she got her start in the Great Outdoors through bowhunting, what compelled her to become a firefighter, how fires are started, what it was like combatting the recent California fires, what it's like for women to serve as firefighte...

In Episode 39 of District of Conservation, Gabriella previews her interview with Interior Secretary Bernhardt and what they discussed; the problem with this anti-hunting op-ed in the Hartford Courier that calls for cutting hunting access on public lands with declining hunting numbers; and why you should buy a 2019-2020 duck stamp . 

In Episode 38 of District of Conservation, Gabriella returns from a two-week hiatus and updates listeners on the latest happenings and what she's been up to.  During Professional Outdoor Media Association's (POMA) Business Conference in Wichita, Kansas last week, she won the Pinnacle Award in the Conservation category for her Sporting Classics piece "Judicial Review Shouldn't Trump Wildlife C...