In this week's public lands news briefing, we covered four stories:

- Mike Lee pushes the latest effort to repeal the Roadless Rule, a landmark conservation policy protecting 58 million acres of national forest land.

- Department of Homeland Security waived dozens of environmental laws to accelerate construction through the Big Bend Region for an updated border wall.

- Ed Stierli from the National Parks Conservation Association joins us to discuss growing concerns over National Park Service funding priorities and controversial projects moving forward on the National Mall.

- RideApart Editor-in-Chief Jonathon Klein helps unpack President Trump's decision to rescind decades-old off-road vehicle directives and what the change could mean for conflicts over public land and recreation access.

REMINDER: Starting June 1st, we will no longer release episodes on Fridays. Our next public lands news briefing will be released on June 22nd.

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Sources & Resources

NPCA Website: https://www.npca.org/

Big Bend Border Wall: https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/trump-administration-waives-environmental-laws-to-blast-border-barriers-roads-through-big-bend-national-park-2026-06-08/

June 10th Senate Committee Meeting: https://www.energy.senate.gov/hearings/2026/6/business-meeting-to-consider-pending-legislation

New York Times Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/27/climate/park-service-fees-washington-trump.html

RideApart: https://www.rideapart.com/info/team/jonathon-klein/

ORV Executive Order: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/05/removing-unnecessary-and-counterproductive-restrictions-on-access-to-federal-lands/

It can feel impossible to find joy when the headlines never seem to let up.

From attacks on public lands and environmental protections to growing uncertainty for the people who steward these places, many of us are carrying a constant sense of urgency, grief, and overwhelm.

But what if joy isn't a distraction from the work?

What if joy is what sustains us through it?

In episode 224 of Outdoor Minimalist, I sit down with podcaster, former U.S. Forest Service employee, and public lands advocate Liz Crandall to talk about resilience and the role joy plays in challenging times.

Together, we explore how to stay informed without becoming consumed by the news cycle, the importance of caring for ourselves as we advocate for the places we love, and why local action and community connection matter now more than ever.

Liz is the creator and host of Rangers of the Lost Park, a podcast that helps listeners better understand public lands through the stories of the people who work in and care for them.

As a former federal employee who was directly impacted by recent workforce cuts, Liz brings both personal experience and professional insight to conversations about public lands. Throughout our conversation, she reminds us that joy is not separate from the work of protecting public lands and that it's often what makes that work possible.

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Rangers of the Lost Park

Website: https://rangersofthelostpark.transistor.fm/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RangersoftheLostParkPodcast

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rangers-of-the-lost-park/id1822915251

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rangersofthelostpark

In this week's public lands news briefing, we cover three stories:

1. Republican-controlled Congress includes mining leases for Twin Metals in Northern MN in the Fiscal Year 2027 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill

2. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Department of Agriculture signed a new agreement that could allow the use of M-44 devices on BLM-managed lands once again ft. Brooks Fahy, executive director of Predator Defense

3. Representatives Joe Neguse of Colorado and Jared Huffman of California introduced the Public Lands Workforce Stability Act ft. Representative Jared Huffman, California's Second Congressional District

Subscribe to the Outdoor Minimalist newsletter: ⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/

Sources & Resources

M-44 Predator Defense: https://predatordefense.org/m44s.htm

Lethal Control Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Md98jAS2Q

Exposed Documentary: https://youtu.be/qSV8pRLkdKI?si=JgHpJalyPYRMInE-

Public Lands Workforce Stability Act: https://neguse.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-neguse-and-huffman-introduce-public-lands-workforce-stability-act

FY27 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill: https://appropriations.house.gov/news/press-releases/committee-releases-fy27-interior-environment-and-related-agencies