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It can feel like every week there's a new emergency, a new deadline, a new thing to fight. That's not an accident.

Rebecca Gillis — VP of Government Affairs and Advocacy at The Conservation Alliance — joins me to decode what's actually happening to our public lands and why it feels so chaotic.

In this episode: — Executive orders: how they drive everything that happens at the agency level — Deregulation vs. what we're actually seeing — and why it goes one step further — The Congressional Review Act: an old tool being used in ways we've never seen, including Boundary Waters and Grand Staircase-Escalante — Budget reconciliation: the simple majority vehicle that's scarier than it sounds — Flood the zone: why the chaos is a strategy, and what that means for advocates — Why shortened comment periods, circumvented processes, and staffing cuts are all connected — Big Bend, Chaco Canyon, Bears Ears, Grand Staircase, Alaska, and Yosemite — quick updates on everything in play — The power of the outdoor industry: economic, reputational, and people power — 77 open comment periods — and how to navigate them without burning out — The doctor's prescription: keep going outside

Take action: ONX and Protect Our Parks both track open comment periods. The Conservation Alliance has form letters ready. Five Calls makes calling your representatives easy. And save the date — National Public Lands Day is September 26th.

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