With winter recreation and mountain town populations booming, more people are recreating in sensitive wildlife habitat. That raises a tricky question: when land managers decide to close a trail or restrict access, and what evidence do they use to make that call? Often, those decisions rely on research from studies done somewhere else, in different places with different conditions. And that can make it difficult for land managers and wildlife advocates to explain those decisions to the public. It also leads to some bigger questions. Is there such a thing as enough wildlife habitat? Is there such a thing as enough trails and outdoor access? What about “enough” trails or outdoor recreation access? And, how do we balance these sometimes-competing uses of public lands?

SPEAKERS:

• Cal Waichler, Project Coordinator, ⁠Cascades Wolverine Project⁠

• Joel Sisolak, Lands Planning and Recreation Manager, ⁠Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife⁠

• Trevor Kostanich, AMGA-certified ⁠ski guide⁠ and author

• Moderator: Kurt Hellman, Wildlife-Recreation Coexistence Senior Coordinator, ⁠Conservation Northwest⁠

RESOURCES:

• ⁠Cascades Wolverine Project⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠Community Observations Map⁠
• ⁠WolverineWatch.org⁠
• Conservation Northwest⁠⁠
• "Your Stoke Won't Save Us"
• Wintering Wildlife Conservation Initiative
• ⁠Subscribe to Winter Wildlands Alliance⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠Winter Wildlands Alliance Stash Blog⁠⁠⁠
• Winter Wildlands Alliance Action Center

SUPPORTED BY: Outdoor Alliance, REI Co-op, The Mountaineers, Duct Tape Then Beer/Dirt Bag Diaries, High Country News, Phreem Family Brewers, and University of Washington’s Pack Forest.

CREDITS:

• Produced and co-hosted by Anneka Williams and Emily Scott
• Edited by Adam Titmuss
• Theme music by Rattlesnake Preachers feat. Kerry McClay
• Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions

We often talk about public lands as playgrounds. But for many tribal nations, these places are homelands. Outdoor recreation is growing. Trailheads are full. Alpine lakes see record visitation. Social media drives more people to once-quiet places. And while that growth is a testament to how much people love wild places, it can come with real consequences. For tribal nations across Washington State, increased recreation on public lands directly impacts ancestral lands, treaty-protected rights, and the wildlife and ecosystems tribes have stewarded for generations. How do we balance growing outdoor recreation with Tribal sovereignty, cultural access, and stewardship of ancestral lands? As recreation expands, how do we move forward responsibly?

SPEAKERS:

• Libby Nelson, Sr. Environmental Policy Analyst, Tulalip Tribes
• Sarah Ballew, External Affairs Program Manager, Snoqualmie Tribe
• Ezekiel Rohloff, Wildlife Biologist, Snoqualmie Tribe
• Joel Sisolak, Lands Planning and Recreation Manager, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
• Moderator: Betsy Robblee, Conservation and Advocacy Director, The Mountaineers

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RESOURCES:

• The Recreation Boom on Public Lands in Western Washington: Impacts to Wildlife and Implications for Treaty Tribes
• Snoqualmie Tribe Ancestral Lands Movement
• State Tribal Recreation Impact Initiative (STRI)
• ⁠⁠Subscribe to Winter Wildlands Alliance⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠Winter Wildlands Alliance Stash Blog⁠⁠

SUPPORTED BY: Outdoor Alliance, REI Co-op, The Mountaineers, Duct Tape Then Beer/Dirt Bag Diaries, High Country News, Phreem Family Brewers, and University of Washington’s Pack Forest.

CREDITS:

• Produced and co-hosted by Anneka Williams and Emily Scott
• Edited by Adam Titmuss
• Theme music by Rattlesnake Preachers feat. Kerry McClay
• Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Avalanche forecasts are one of the most trusted safety tools in winter recreation and travel. Built daily by professionals who wake before dawn, dig into the snowpack, analyze storms, track wind, and translate complex data into clear public guidance that shapes life-or-death decisions for as many as 30 million people. But can avalanche forecasting survive the current administration? How stable is the system that keeps us informed (and alive) in the backcountry?

SPEAKERS:

• Caroline Miller, Executive Director of the Utah Avalanche Center
• David Reichel, Executive Director of the Sierra Avalanche Center
• Scott Schell, Executive Director of the Northwest Avalanche Center
• Brody Leven, professional chairlift-free adventure skier (moderator)

RESOURCES:

• ⁠Winter Wildlands Alliance Action Center⁠
• ⁠Subscribe to Winter Wildlands Alliance⁠
• ⁠Winter Wildlands Alliance Stash Blog⁠
• Find Your Local Avalanche Center

SUPPORTED BY: Outdoor Alliance, REI Co-op, The Mountaineers, Duct Tape Then Beer/Dirt Bag Diaries, High Country News, Phreem Family Brewers, and University of Washington’s Pack Forest.

CREDITS:

• Produced and co-hosted by Anneka Williams and Emily Scott
• Edited by Adam Titmuss
• Theme music by Rattlesnake Preachers feat. Kerry McClay
• Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions