Outdoor Minimalist

To kick off our public lands policy conversation this year, we wanted to take a look back at the year we had in 2025 and what we should expect moving into 2026.  Joining me to lead this conversation is Rebecca Gillis. Rebecca is Vice President of Government Affairs & Advocacy at The Conservation Alliance, where she leads the organization’s advocacy and government affairs strategy and helps sha...

What if one of the most widely used pesticides in the world is something most people have never even heard of, despite likely encountering it daily? In episode 206 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast we are discussing neonicotinoids, often called “neonics.”  They’re the most commonly used insecticides in the United States, applied to crops, lawns, gardens, golf courses, and even found in flea and ti...

Happy New Year, and welcome back to the Outdoor Minimalist podcast. After a much-needed hiatus, I’ve had time to reflect on where this show is headed—and how I can better manage the energy and care that go into producing it. With that in mind, I want to share a few updates you can expect as we move through 2026. First, our Monday episodes aren’t changing. We’ll continue releasing weekly expert int...

For over three years, the Outdoor Minimalist platform has been a big part of my existence and growth as a creative and journalist. I've put a lot into the show, especially this year when we added a Friday episode about public lands. But I need a break. With the recent passing of my dog, Ash, I need time to process and grieve the loss of my best friend and biggest inspiration. Ash is the reason...

The Outdoor Media Summit is an annual conference for media, marketers, PR, and brands to come together to collaborate and network. Although I've only attended the last two years, it has quickly become among my favorite industry events because of the intimate settings and ever evolving format. In this episode, Tarin O'Donnell, from the Tarin it Up Podcast, and I recap our experience at the...

In the Outdoor Minimalist public lands news briefing for the week of November 3 - 7, we cover: - Public Lands Rule comment period ending on November 10th Comment Here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/BLM-2025-0001-0001 - The Fight for the Roadless Rule Continues with Josh Hicks from the Wilderness Society - Chaco Canyon in New Mexico is facing rollbacks to protections around the park with Sal...

For decades, the outdoor industry has celebrated innovation through synthetics—lighter, stronger, and more technical fabrics made from petroleum-based materials.  But as we grapple with the environmental costs of producing many synthetic products, is a shift underway?  Wool, waxed cotton, hemp, and other natural materials might be making a comeback —not as a nostalgic throwback, but as brands and...

Here's what happened during the week of October 27 - 31 with our Public Lands: - Mike Lee's three new proposals that threaten public lands with Neal Clark from the Southwest Utah Wilderness Alliance - National Parks remain understaffed, but open during the ongoing shutdown - Over 500 new oil and gas permits were approved during the shutdown period - Trump administration will open the entir...

Depending on where you live, if you’ve ever driven a snowy mountain road or parked your car after a winter storm, you’ve probably seen that familiar crust of salt left behind. It’s easy to think of road salt as just another part of winter, and a simple fix for icy conditions.  But that same salt, once it washes off our roads, has a far-reaching impact on the water we drink and the lakes or streams...

After a week off from our public lands news round-up, we are back with more updates as attacks on public lands continue despite the government shutdown.  The government shutdown has many impacts on our public lands, ranging from our National Parks and Forest Service to the Bureau of Land Management. While we spend a lot of time talking about our parks, BLM lands don’t often get as much attention. ...

In this episode, we visit Y osemite, Joshua Tree, and Sequoia–Kings Canyon to understand how the 2025 government shutdown is affecting park staff, local economies, and conservation efforts across the National Park System. While some parks, like Joshua Tree, appear to be operating almost normally, others are showing the strain. Visitor centers are shuttered, maintenance is delayed, and some rangers...

This week on our public lands news round up for October 6 - 10, we cover: - Government shutdown enters it's 10th day with no end in sight - Mission Ridge ski expansion outside of Wenatchee, WA faces local oppostion ft. Steven Gnam from Friends of Mission Ridge ( https://www.friendsofmissionridge.org/ ⁠ ) - Land management plan repeals in Montana and North Dakota pass in the Senate using the Co...

What if the same determination it takes to climb some of the world’s highest peaks was also the key to tackling some of the world’s biggest chemical threats? That’s the story of today’s guest, Arlene Blum. A pioneering mountaineer who co-led the first women’s ascent of Denali and led the first American ascent of Annapurna I, Arlene later turned her focus toward another steep climb: protecting publ...

In this episode (Sept 29 – Oct 3, 2025): Coal Expansion on Federal Lands – The Department of the Interior announced a plan to open 13.1 million acres to coal leasing Government Shutdown Impacts – Congress’s failure to pass a spending deal triggered a shutdown on October 1. Includes an interview with Brittany Leffel of the Winter Wildlands Alliance. Continental Divide Trail Access Rules – Hikers fi...

When most people think about recreational vehicles– you know, RVs, campers, they picture freedom — the open road, family vacations, maybe even a way of life.  What probably doesn’t come to mind is deforestation in Borneo.  Yet half of all tropical plywood harvested globally ends up in RVs. In episode 199 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we dig into how the RV industry in the United States has be...

What we cover in this episode of the public lands news for the week of September 22 - 26: -Looming government shutdown and the risk of mass layoffs at the Interior Department and National Park Service -Congressional attacks on Western Arctic protections and what’s at stake for the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska with guest Andy Moderow, Senior Director of Policy for the Alaska Wilderness League...

Wildfires are reshaping the landscapes of the American West—and with them, the way we think about public lands and climate resilience.  Over the past few decades, fires have grown larger, more severe, and harder to predict. As climate change accelerates and management debates intensify, the stakes couldn’t be higher for our forests. Today, we’re digging into the science behind these trends and wha...

This week on Public Lands News (Sept 15–19, 2025): - Rep. Paul Gosar’s bill to abolish Ironwood Forest and Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monuments - USDA proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule (comment period closes Sept. 19) - Launch of RE:PUBLIC , a nonprofit newsroom focused on America’s public lands with Founder Chris Keyes ( https://www.republic.land/ ) - Interior Secretary Burgum a...

Estes Park, Colorado, gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, has long relied on its outdoor recreation economy. In fact, just a few years ago, it was outpacing the rest of Colorado in tourism growth. But in 2025, federal policy changes, including mass firings at federal agencies like the National Park Service, are raising questions: Will communities like Estes Park be able to weather the storm?...

There is just one week left to comment on the USDA’s intent to rescind the Roadless Rule. The comment period closes September 19th. As of this recording, more than 78,000 comments have already been submitted to the Federal Register, but we need to keep that momentum going. Link to Federal Register to Comment on the Roadless Rule: ⁠ ⁠https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/29/2025-16581/s...

In the pilot episode of Ecocide , we look at two primary threats to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness: mining and climate change. Spanning over 1.1 million acres of boreal forest, glacial lakes, and winding rivers, the Boundary Waters is the largest wilderness East of the Rockies (and North of the Everglades), and one of the most pristine freshwater ecosystems in the world. But sulfide-ore...

This week's Public Lands News episode is covering public lands protections, Congressional tools, and new funding announcements, including: USDA Proposal to Rescind the Roadless Rule: 45 million acres of national forest at risk, including Alaska’s Tongass; public comment period closes September 19 Congressional Review Act Threats to BLM Resource Management Plans — with John Ruple, University of...

We've been tracking the attacks on public lands since January 20, 2025, and while this short episode only covers a few of the main events, hundreds of other things have happened specifically targeting our public lands and waters. This video only features events through August 12, 2025. The 200th day of Trump 2.0 occurred on August 7th. See the full timeline* document here: https://docs.google....

This week on Public Lands News, we’re covering staffing crises, forest protections, and union victories, including: National Park Service Staffing Crisis continues — closures, delayed responses, and what it means for visitors USDA Move to Rescind the Roadless Rule (21-day comment period) — with Corey Fisher, Trout Unlimited Yosemite & Sequoia-Kings Canyon Park Workers Unionize Court Orders Clo...

While everyone starts their morning a little differently, one thing many people have in common is pouring a cup of coffee.  But what if I told you that your daily ritual of coffee is more than likely funding mass deforestation, biodiversity loss, and slavery?  One thing you know is that on this podcast, we vote with our dollar, and what we buy every single day, where we buy it, and who we buy it f...