Howdy everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the Blister podcast on the Blister Podcast Network.

My name is Luke Kappa. I am the managing editor at Blister, and you can check out everything we're doing and reviewing over at Blister Review.com.

In today's conversation, I'm talking with Lewis Geltman, the vice president of policy and government relations at Outdoor Alliance.

Lewis and the rest of the team at Outdoor Alliance help inform, advocate, and take action on issues surrounding public lands, conservation, and anything else that impacts anyone who enjoys recreating outdoors.

And, well, these days they've got their hands full. Right now, one of the most pressing issues

is the proposed rescission of the roadless rule. Despite this rule being broadly popular

since its introduction, the government is

currently aiming to remove its protections, which apply to approximately one-third of U.S. Forest

Service land, which comprises millions of acres of public land across the country. There's a very

good chance that your favorite, mountain bike trails, climbing crags,

backcountry skiing zones, stretches of rivers, and camping spots could be affected.

However, this is a rule that not many people know about.

Until a few weeks ago, I didn't realize that nearly all of my favorite outdoor spots are

in the preserved condition

they are today, partly thanks to the roadless rule.

Fortunately, Lewis was happy to shed more light on this regulation, why it was first introduced,

why it was so popular then and now, how it's likely affected just about anyone in the United

States who listens to this podcast,

and the impacts of the changes that are currently being proposed. And this is a very timely

conversation because those of us who value public lands and the responsible management

still have an opportunity to voice our opinions and potentially prevent the unnecessary

development and short-sighted policy that would negatively impact the lands that we hold dear.

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