Our Public Lands
A podcast about our beloved and treasured public lands where I interview subject matter experts and activists from across the country who are working to protect and advocate for our public lands and their wildlife, wilderness, and cultural values.
Our Public Lands
#4 - Balancing Grazing and Conservation—Is it Possible?
In this episode I interview Laura Welp, Ecosystems Specialist with the Western Watersheds Project. We discuss the significance of our public lands, and the democratic principles that should underpin their management. Our discussion addresses the conflicts between livestock grazing and ecological health, including challenges from invasive species (like cheatgrass) and livestock impacts on native ecosystems. Various land management strategies and restoration efforts are examined alongside political and ideological tensions. Laura sheds light on the struggles within the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), emphasizing the importance of science-based management and the success of wildlife refuges like Hart Mountain and Sheldon where domestic livestock have been removed from the landscape.
www.westernwatersheds.org