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

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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

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Have you seen the phrase "Make America Beautiful Again" and thought to yourself, "What does that even mean?" Well you're in luck because this week Mikayla explains the two Executive Orders, Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks and Establishing the President's Make America Beautiful Again Commission while Liz helps fact-check the fact sheet. The impacts of these directives are also discussed, so get comfy and tune in to learn all about MABA.

Feeling overwhelmed by all the terrible news? Negative news coverage impacts mental health, click here to learn more about how your brain processes this information and what you can do to reduce negative impacts. Enjoy some time in nature and embrace taking a break to rest. If you feel empowered to make change, get involved with a group such as Resistance Rangers and search for volunteer opportunities near you. We will get through this together!

Additional resources used for this episode:

1. Presidential Memorandum from the Obama Administration
2. Trump Invokes Roosevelt
3. EPA Endangerment Finding Impact
4. Land and Water Conservation Fund Secretarial Order 3388
5. H.R. 1957 - Great American Outdoors Act
6. Trump's "Gold Standard Science"
7. Stand Up For Science Petition
8. Health and Environmental Risks from Lead-based Ammunition
9. Lead Bullet Risks for Wildlife and Humans
10. Biden Administration Public Lands Rule
11. Trump Administration Removal of 30 Endangered Species from List

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Joining us for this episode is Park Ranger Alex Wild! A ranger of 15 years and going, Alex dedicates his life and purpose to protecting the parks, the people, and the landscape.

Learn about what it means to be a ranger, why you should care about National Parks and public lands, and hear some hilarious first-hand ranger stories. Lounging marmots, bears with critical thinking skills, celebrity run-ins, and more!

Follow Alex Wild on Instagram: @ranger_wild.

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What is the Roadless Rule? Why is it important? What does it really mean for the American people and the US Forest Service?

Liz takes a deep dive into the Roadless Rule and its controversial history while Mikayla hangs out and eats a cookie.

In short, the 2001 Roadless Rule has quite the reputation within the United States federal government, US states, Indigenous Tribes, and the every day Forest visitor. 58.5 million acres of Inventoried Roadless Areas are established throughout the United States on National Forest Systems Land and, recently, US Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the desire and motivation to rescind the Roadless Rule. What does this entail? Why should you care? Let's talk about it.

All resources for this episode are listed below in the order stated in this episode:

1. USFS Roadless Information

2. USDA Press Release

3. US Federal Register

4. Regulations.gov

5. USFS 2001 Roadless Rule

6. Congress.gov Roadless Rule Definition

7. EarthJustice Roadless Rule Timeline

8. USFS Alaska Roadless Rule Public Comments

9. National Institutes of Health 2024 Scientific Study

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Joining Liz and Mikayla is Wildlife Biologist Ben Vizzachero, who discuss their crazy experiences at the State of the Union (Joint Address) in Washington DC on March 4, 2025, which they attended in-person as the honored guests of specific members of Congress.

Ben (or Benji) shares his passion and love for his work as a biologist for the US Forest Service, including how he got into his field of work and how he continues to fight for his job. He also provides some really fun and interesting facts about several wildlife species, including birds and crabs.

Like Mikayla and Liz, Ben was illegally fired by the Trump administration in February, and has stood up for not only himself but all federal workers who do important deeds to protect our public lands. He even stood up directly to Elon Musk, in person, and to find out what all was said, you'll have to tune in and listen to this special episode!

All views expressed in this episode are our own individual opinions, and do not reflect the views or perspectives of the US Forest Service or any other federal agency workers.

Check out Ben's Instagram: @territory_ranger
Indivisible SYV: @indivisiblesyv

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Liz & Mikayla welcome President of the NFFE Executive Board Warner (Andy) Vanderheuel and NFFE General Counsel and Labor Lawyer Yvette Piacsek to a special episode highlighting federal worker legality issues, concerns, and current events. Also discussed is how current federal workers (including rangers within public land federal agencies) can safely and effectively use their voices to highlight their personal perspectives and information they wish to share publicly.

The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) union has a long history of supporting working-class federal employees and their families. They have been integral for current federal workers experiencing hardship instilled by the current administration.

For insight and guidance regarding how rangers and federal employees can carefully elevate their voices, skip ahead to 31:00.

To learn more about NFFE, visit their website at www.nffe.org.
Follow NFFE on Instagram @nffe_union.

To learn more about the Forest Service Council, visit their website at www.nffe-fsc.org.
Follow NFFE-FSC on Instagram @nffe_fsc.

Other Resources Mentioned:
Rise up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network
AFL-CIO
Office of Government Ethics
Workforce Reshaping Operations Handbook

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

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