State Corner Crossing Legislative Efforts and Lesser Prairie Chickens

The guys discuss legislative efforts to decriminalize corner-crossing in Wyoming and Oregon. (Note: Wyoming's effort failed after this episode was recorded, but could come back in future years, and there's still a 10th Circuit of Appeals case saying it is and always has been legal). They also put their tin hats on to discuss the recent action by the FWS to remove lesser prairie chickens from Endangered Species Act protections and initiate an new review of whether or not they warrant listing.

The US Senate is considering a resolution under the Congressional Review Act that would cancel a 20 year mineral withdrawal in the Boundary Waters region of Northern Minnesota. Passing the resolution would remove one of the barriers to the development of a massive copper sulfide mine in the region. Dave and Nephi discuss. Also, the guys discuss a ballot initiative in Oregon that would criminalize hunting, fishing, ranching, and more.  

Swanny Evans, state government affairs director for Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever, joins the guys on a late night in late September (yes, just releasing now) to discuss conservation. Topics include: why there aren't quail in Wyoming, Swanny's deer capture research in Georgia and Pennsylvania, how to dart a deer safely, prairie dogs and black footed ferrets, strangest meat they've ever eaten, wild/feral horse management, how it's different to work on issues in different parts of the country, R3, the work of Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever, Swanny's mountain, and much more. 

In this episode, Dave and Nephi dive into the creative ways people are accessing their public lands. Topics include: Dave's successful big game hunt; Nephi's slow start to the season; using the Congressional Review Act to overturn a barred owl management plan; an update on the corner crossing case; why you still shouldn't cross from state land to state land at corners; the use of helicopters to access public lands; are helicopter pilots dropping hunters on public land considered outfitters; use of ebikes for access; why just because you can do something doesn't always mean you should; whether it should be easy for everyone to access all public lands; how states could ban certain activities on public lands (i.e. hunting) without banning access; and more. This discussion gets more pointed than most, with lots of points and counterpoints. Give it a listen, and then send us your thoughts at [email protected]. 

Dave and Nephi may have recorded this episode in September, but it remains topical today. The guys discuss transferrable landowner hunting licenses. Topics include: the history of landowner licenses; the effect of transferrable tags in other states; the importance of landowners for habitat and wildlife; what transferrable tags can do to tag availability in the random draw, and so much more. Safe to say that Dave and Nephi aren't perfectly aligned on this one. Let us know who's side you are on by sending us an email at [email protected].

Dave did it again. We recorded this a month ago, and Dave is just getting it published. And, his excuses are worthless. In this episode, the guys talk about changes to implementation of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the proposal to rescind the Public Lands Rule. Woven throughout is a discussion about the need for more durable outcomes for conservation, and why pendulum swings of the "my way or the highway" approach that both political parties use these days is bad for wildlife and conservation.   

In late August, the Administration published a proposal to rescind the Roadless Rule in most states across the United States, calling into question the legal status of more than 45 million acres of National Forest lands. Dave and Nephi provide a high level overview of the history of the Roadless Rule; activities it allows and disallows; the unique status of Colorado and Idaho; the importance of Roadless areas to wildlife; the importance of roads to firefighting;  what the proposal actually does; how to provide comments; and whether there's a middle ground. Take a listen--like everything, there's some nuance.    

In this episode that the guys recorded a month ago and Dave forgot to publish, Dave and Nephi discuss a recent effort to use the Congressional Review Act to repeal three BLM Respurce Management Plans, and the unintended consequences of such action. They also discuss why hunters are so important to achieving positive conservation outcomes, why influencers can play an important role in achieving the goals, and why we need to keep recruiting new hunters into the ranks. At least, that's we we think we discussed--I mean--we recorded this a month ago. 

The guys are joined by the Steve Smith, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, to discuss a new law that lifts the ban on hunting on Sundays in the state.  Steve discusses the history of "blue laws", prior efforts to lift the Sunday hunting prohibition, the concerns of landowners and recreationistsand how they were addressed, how the agency will move forward with permitting Sunday hunting, how it will benefit hunters and wildlife, tresspassing in Pennsylvania, Dave and Nephi's different approaches to hunting antelope and elk, Steve's mountain, and so much more. It's not everyday that a several hundred year prohibition for hunters ends. It's worth celebrating! Tune in, and share this episode with your friends, family, colleagues, and enemies. 

In Part 2 of our reflection on Sen. Lee's attempt to sell millions of acres of public lands, we take a look forward. The guys discuss why the threat of sale isn't dead; why hunters must remain vigilent in defending public lands; and ideas for helping turn the temperature down on sales threats by identifying solutions to better manage public lands for the benefit of everyone. Have other ideas for turning the temperature down after listening to this episode? Let us know by sending us an email at [email protected], or via Facebook or Instagram at the handle @itsyourmountain.