Wildfires are burning more and more drastically each year. The people who serve and protect the landscape and its inhabitants are not only brave but also incredibly vital to have in the workforce.

Speaking with us today is Riva Duncan, who retired at the end of 2020 after 32+ years with the US Forest Service, first as a forester then a wildland firefighter and manager. Shortly after retirement, Riva joined Grassroots Wildland Firefighters advocacy non-profit. She also joined the US Forest Service's International Programs as an emergency management specialist assisting national parks in North Macedonia and the Republic of Georgia and teaching wildland firefighting skills virtually to first responders and military personnel in Ukraine.

Riva shares a crazy story about a bear encounter while fighting fire, Mikayla talks about the time she almost lost her house to a wildfire, and Liz discusses a time she called in a fire she stumbled upon!

Follow Riva Duncan on Instagram: @firechik
Visit Riva's website: RivaDuncan.com

Follow Grassroots Wildland Firefighters on Instagram: @grassrootswildlandfirefighters
Learn more about Grassroots Wildland Firefighters: GrassrootsWildlandFirefighters.com

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On July 24 of this year, US Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a new reorganization effort for the entire USDA, which includes the US Forest Service. By ridding the US Forest Service of all current Regions and, therefore, Regional Offices, things are a bit up in the air about what this will actually look like. Liz takes us into a deep dive of what the USDA reorganization looks like, specifically for the US Forest Service, how this may impact the agency and the American people as a whole, and why it might not be a very good idea.

Sources Cited in this episode:

1. USDA Reorganization Announcement
2. Secretary Memorandum SM 1078-015
3. About the US Forest Service - usda.gov
4. About the US Forest Service - supremecourt.gov
5. USFS Organization
6. USFS Regional Foresters
7. Region 5 - About the Area
8. Field Organization and Administrative History of the National Forest System - forestservicemuseum.org
9. The USDA Forest Service - The First Century
10. Forest Service Regions
11. The Land We Cared For . . . A History of the Forest Service's Eastern Region
12. 8KPAX - Missoula & Western Montana Article
13. Montana Free Press Article
14. Mountain Journal Article
15. The Guardian Article

Follow us on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.
Follow us on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.

For episode suggestions and feedback, please email us at rangersofthelostpark@gmail.com.

Please download, subscribe, and leave us a review! Thank you for listening!

Bogs and Badgers, oh my! Joining us for this episode is Liz's sister, Sarah Crandall, who is a botanist and wildland firefighter. We discuss her work caring for rare and sensitive plant species and share funny stories about bogs, badgers, Harry Potter camp, favorite nonessential things to bring backpacking, and more! This is our silliest episode yet, so we hope you enjoy as much as we did.

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @riv.er.fern

Follow us on Instagram: @rangersofthelostpark.
Follow us on TikTok: @rangersofthelostpark.

For episode suggestions and feedback, please email us at rangersofthelostpark@gmail.com.

Please download, subscribe, and leave us a review! Thank you for listening!