National Parks Traveler Podcast | Wilderness Lost

National Parks Traveler Podcast | Wilderness Lost

Author: Kurt Repanshek June 21, 2026 Duration: 48:18

Across the United States, from Alaska to Puerto Rico, there are about 112 million acres of officially designated wilderness. That amounts to about 5 percent of the country's land mass. It might appear to be even smaller when you consider that more than half of those 112 million acres protected as wilderness are in Alaska.

To say that wilderness is at risk from the human imprint isn't hyperbole. While there are millions of acres of proposed, recommended, and potential wilderness across the country, Congress acts extremely slowly on these matters. Indeed, it was back in 1989 when America's Red Rock Wilderness Act was first proposed in Congress to protect 8 million acres in Utah as official wilderness. The clock continues to tick on that proposal.

Without official designation as wilderness, lands can be impacted by motorized and mechanized activities, from logging and mining and energy development to off-road-vehicle recreation. But the threats to both unofficial and official wilderness might be growing, as the Trump administration has called for a review of wilderness management on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and even the National Park Service.

To explore what's at stake with wilderness in America under these proposals, we have Kevin Proescholdt, the conservation director for Wilderness Watch, a nonprofit advocacy organization, and Bob Krumenaker, chairman of Keep Big Bend Wild, a nonprofit advocating for official wilderness designation in Big Bend National Park and a long-time National Park Service manager joining us today.

Public comment on the Interior secretary's directives is being taken through mid-August. Here are links to the public comment pages:

BLM

NPS

FWS


There's a world of stories waiting beyond the park entrance sign, and the National Parks Traveler Podcast is your audio guide to them. Led by Kurt Repanshek, this series goes deeper than trail maps and visitor statistics. It connects the natural wonder you experience firsthand with the crucial, often unseen work happening behind the scenes-the science informing conservation, the cultural histories embedded in the landscape, and the policy decisions that will shape these places for future generations. As the audio companion to the editorially independent nonprofit media organization, this podcast delivers a thoughtful blend of on-the-ground reports, interviews with researchers and park staff, and nuanced discussions about the challenges and triumphs in managing protected areas. You'll hear the sounds of the parks and the voices of the people dedicated to them. Each episode is an invitation to better understand the complex tapestry of ecology, history, and society that makes every national park far more than a scenic destination. Tune in for a regular dose of insight that will deepen your appreciation and perhaps even shape your next journey into America's most treasured public lands.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

National Parks Traveler Podcast
Podcast Episodes
National Parks Traveler Podcast | See You In the Parks! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:31
For 21 years, the National Parks Traveler has taken you around the National Park System and kept you informed on how the National Park Service and Congress have managed your national parks. We've gone underground to desc…
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Don't Erase History So Fast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:07
It was a little more than a year ago when Interior Secretary Doug Burgum asked the public to help him identify interpretive materials in the National Park System that disparaged Americans past or living or which containe…
National Parks Traveler Podcast | ESA's Future [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:23
Since this past December here at the Traveler we've been bringing you a series of stories on the Endangered Species Act and the threatened and endangered species it's intended to keep from going extinct. For me, it's bee…
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Rethinking Public Lands Stewardship [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:06
Public lands stewardship has most definitely changed under the second presidential administration of Donald Trump. Land-management agencies such as the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Manag…
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Cook Inlet's Beluga Whales [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:36
A fast-track proposal to develop a gold mine near Alaska's Cook Inlet and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is alarming scientists, environmental groups and local communities because of the devastating effects it is…
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Print Ain't Dead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:20
We're living in somewhat tumultuous times in the print media industry. Well-familiar titles are either disappearing, shrinking drastically, or shifting over to the internet. On top of that, the advent of Artificial Intel…
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Chief Storyteller [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:46
National parks provide us with so many services, from providing us with inspiration, allowing us to leave our stress behind for a few hours or a few days, offering a recreational outlet, and enabling us to pursue hobbies…
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Wildlife Crossings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:57
Across the United States, there are many thousands of collisions between vehicles and wildlife each year, killing people and animals and causing millions of dollars in property damages. Some solutions revolve around crea…
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Polluting Parks With Light [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:35
You might not entirely appreciate the wonders and majesty of national parks unless you venture out after dark and gaze up at what often is referred to as the other half of the national park system. The view can be quite…