On Land

In today's episode, WLA Communications Director Louis Wertz sits down with Aireona Raschke, who leads collaborative efforts across the West through her work with the Center for Collaborative Conservation and the Western Collaborative Conservation Network at Colorado State University. Aireona gives us a preview of this year's Confluence –a conference designed to support and connect people across the West doing the important, and often challenging, work of collaborative conservation. Whether you plan to attend or not, this is a great conversation about what it takes to bring people together and build solutions that last. More information about Confluence 2026 can be found here.

Join the Ranch Managers Guild: https://wla.social/guild Today we're sharing an episode from our friends at the Land Investor Podcast featuring Justin Howe—President of Gates Family Ranches, which is a family-owned cattle, hospitality, and conservation operation spanning the Colorado–Wyoming border. Alongside his wife, Lissa, Justin has co-managed the A Bar A Guest Ranch since 2008. Justin is also a Western Landowners Alliance board member and advisor to our Ranch Managers Guild—a network built to support the people stewarding working lands every day. The Guild offers connection, practical tools, and professional development for managers of family ranches, cattle operations, and conservation properties alike. In this episode, hosts Matt and Ryan sit down with Justin for an in-depth conversation about modern ranch management in the American West. Drawing on decades of hands-on experience, Justin shares how today's ranch leaders balance cattle operations, guest services, conservation goals, technology, and landowner priorities—all while keeping large, complex landscapes healthy and productive for the long haul. Show notes: https://onland.westernlandowners.org/2026/podcast/modern-ranch-management-at-scale-with-justin-howe/

A new report reveals that Western landowners invested at least $407.5 million of their own money in conservation in 2024, outpacing many of the most well-known public funding programs. This new data fills a major gap in how we understand conservation economics. Today, WLA CEO Lesli Allison and WLA's communications director Louis Wertz walk through what the data shows, why these investments have gone largely unrecognized, and what it means for the future of conservation in the West. Full report here: https://westernlandowners.org/landowner-investment/

Today, we're looking at the future of the Bureau of Land Management — a federal agency that oversees nearly 250 million acres of land in the West. We're in the middle of a critical moment for public lands, especially the BLM. Staffing and budget cuts are hitting an agency that's already stretched thin, there's still no confirmed director, and a recent ProPublica investigation is once again raising questions about oversight of the grazing program. To help put all these headlines in context, and consider what reforms might even be possible, WLA's CEO Lesli Allison sat down with Jesse Juen, former New Mexico State Director of the BLM. Show notes: https://onland.westernlandowners.org/2025/podcast/whats-ahead-for-americas-public-lands-with-jesse-juen-former-blm-state-director/

California's recent decision to remove four members of a wolf pack near Lake Tahoe sparked national attention - but the story behind it is much bigger. Today on the On Land feed, we're sharing a special episode from our sister show, Working Wild University, which WLA produces with wildlife management specialist and prof. Jared Beaver at Montana State University Extension. In this episode, Wildlife Management professor at UC Berkeley, Dr. Arthur Middleton, joins us to dig into his recent New York Times op-ed and explore why America's predator recovery has outpaced our ability to support the people living in these landscape – and what we can do about it. Show notes: https://onland.westernlandowners.org/2025/podcast/california-wolves-87-dead-cattle-and-the-nyt-op-ed-everyones-sharing/ This episode was hosted by Jared Beaver and produced by Zach Altman, with support from Avery Shawler and Louis Wertz.

The American West is changing fast, and one of the biggest forces shaping that change is development. Sprawl - those 35-acre subdivisions and ranchettes you see spreading across the landscape - can mean paradise for some, and the unraveling of communities, wildlife habitat and productive landscapes for others. Today we're talking about what's driving that growth, what it means for landowners and rural economies and what kinds of solutions might help us strike a balance between private property rights, conservation and community needs. On the show today, our CEO Lesli Allison sits down with Ken Mirr, founder of Mirr Ranch Group and longtime land broker who has worked at the intersection of ranching, conservation and real estate for decades. Show notes: https://onland.link/podcast

The Farm Bill. A piece of legislation that quietly shapes much of life in this country - especially for those of us in rural America. The Farm Bill influences everything from food access to conservation, crop insurance to rural infrastructure. And yet, for how far-reaching it is, most Americans know very little about what's actually in it - or what's at stake when it comes up for renewal. To help unpack the history, the politics, and the uncertain path ahead, Lesli Allison, our CEO here at Western Landowners Alliance, speaks with two former high-ranking staffers who served in the Senate Agriculture Committee, Jonathan Coppess, former chief counsel under former senator and chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat from Michigan, and Joel Leftwich, a former staff director under former senator and chairman Pat Roberts, a Republican from Kansas. Find the show notes here: https://onland.link/podcast

Today we're chatting with Caroline and Justin Nelson, the powerhouse ranching couple behind Little Creek Feed in Townsend, Montana, and the owners of Little Creek Lamb & Beef, a direct-to-consumer meat company that prioritizes care for the land, the animals, and the people sustained by both. We talk about what it was like to start a business while expecting their first child, why they're so committed to quality local products and top-notch customer service, the decline of community gathering spaces in rural areas, the origins and growth of their meat business, and so much more. Find more in the show notes: https://onland.westernlandowners.org/2025/podcast/little-creek-feed/

The American West is burning. We need to adapt. But what does it really mean to live with fire? Today's guest has spent years trying to answer that question. Nick Mott is an award-winning journalist, podcast producer (Threshold, MTPR's The Wide Open, Fireline), and now author of the book This is Wildfire: How to Protect Yourself, Your Home, and Your Community in the Age of Heat, which he co-authored with Justin Angle, host of A New Angle and a professor at Montana State University's College of Business. Nick joins WLA's Zach Altman for a conversation about fire - where we've been, how we got here and what we can do now. They discuss forest management and insurance markets, prescribed burns and Indigenous fire knowledge, and how community might be the most powerful firefighting tool we've got. Find the show notes here.

UPDATE: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has extended the public comment period on proposed changes to the grizzly bear's Endangered Species Act listing. The new deadline is May 16. Today we're sharing an episode from Working Wild University, our award-winning documentary podcast about the people and wildlife of the American West. Western Landowners Alliance produces this show in partnership with Dr. Jared Beaver, a wildlife extension specialist at Montana State University. Be sure to check out Working Wild U wherever you listen to podcasts. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing changes to the grizzly bear's listing under the Endangered Species Act, and a public comment period is open until March 17th. But what exactly would this new rule mean for grizzly bear management, landowners, and the future of the species? In this episode, Jared and Zach sit down with Shaleas Harrison, Wyoming Resources Coordinator with Western Landowners Alliance, to break down the proposed rule, the long history of grizzly bear listing and delisting efforts, and what the proposed changes could mean for people living and working in grizzly country. Learn more about the proposed rule and submit a public comment. Full show notes here.

Today we sit down with Dan Miller, the founder and CEO of Steward, a regenerative agriculture finance firm. Dan founded Steward to combine his background in finance, real estate, and technology with his passion for agriculture, which stems from his maternal family who have been farming on the eastern shore of Maryland since the 1880s. Find the show notes here: https://onland.link/podcast

How does human-related sound impact wildlife around us? From trails to roads to cities, this question propels Dr. Jesse Barber, a leader in the emerging field of sensory ecology. Jesse Barber is a professor of biological sciences at Boise State University. He was recently appointed as the chief conservation curator and chief conservation scientist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. In today's episode, Barber joins Lesli Allison, CEO of Western Landowners Alliance, for a fascinating conversation about the field of sensory ecology, the role of private lands in sustaining a teaming realm of life largely invisible to humans, and its implications for land management and public policy. Explore links and more in our show notes.

The first Western Landowners Policy Talk, a special monthly edition of the On Land Podcast, hosted by Louis Wertz of the Western Landowners Alliance, featured Jason Fearneyhough, chief policy officer with WLA, and WLA CEO Lesli Allison. Jason joined WLA as chief policy officer in February 2024, after stints as the deputy commissioner of agriculture for the state of Texas and director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture. The discussion started with Jason sharing his vision for WLA's policy program and strategies for engaging within the current political and environmental challenges, such as recent Supreme Court decisions, national elections, and natural resource challenges. Lesli and Jason went on to share thoughts on federal farm bill modifications, drought and water policy, endangered species like pollinators, wolves and grizzly bears, and various state-level initiatives like New Mexico's Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund. The conversation also highlighted ongoing work to support ranch viability, succession planning, and public-private partnerships for conservation, alongside dealing with increased recreational impacts, forest management, and energy development. Complete show notes are available at onland.westernlandowners.org.