Promises Worth Defending

Tracy Stone-Manning has spent her career at the heart of public lands policy—from field offices and statehouses to the director’s chair at the Bureau of Land Management. Now, as president of The Wilderness Society, she’s carrying that fight forward with a deep belief in collaboration, connection, and the promise our public lands represent.

In this episode, she joins Bill and Anders for a wide-ranging conversation about what’s really happening inside our land management agencies, what the public lands rule was meant to protect, and why the stakes feel higher than ever. They talk about the erosion of civil service, the growing push to sell off or exploit public lands, and the quiet power of community-led collaboration. Tracy shares her vision for where the conservation movement goes from here—and why, despite the threats, she’s still hopeful.

Today, we explore:

• What’s at stake for civil servants and federal land agencies
• The public lands rule: what it is, why it matters, and why it’s under fire
• Conservation as a core value, not a side benefit
• How collaboration builds durable protection
• The future of public land advocacy in a polarized political climate
• Montana’s model of grassroots pressure
• Why calls, emails, and local organizing still move the needle

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, or at thewildidea.com.

Resources and mentions from today’s episode:

• The Wilderness Society
• Public Lands Rule Overview – BLM
• Rattlesnake Wilderness & Cherry Stem Trail (Missoula, MT)
• Great American Outdoors Act
• Land and Water Conservation Fund
• FLPMA – Federal Land Policy and Management Act

Tracy Stone-Manning is a longtime conservationist and public lands advocate who has played a significant role in shaping U.S. land management policies. As President of The Wilderness Society, she leads efforts to unite people to protect America’s wild places. She also serves as President of The Wilderness Society Action Fund, driving grassroots advocacy and civic engagement to safeguard our nation’s public lands and waters.

Prior to joining The Wilderness Society, Tracy served as Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the nation’s largest land management agency, where she was responsible for the stewardship of 245 million acres of public lands. As BLM Director, she prioritized work that restored public lands and waterways, reformed oil and gas leasing policies, partnered with tribes, and addressed increasing recreation. She has also held leadership roles at the National Wildlife Federation, for Montana Governor Steve Bullock and Senator Jon Tester. Early in her career, she led a small conservation group that galvanized a community around removing a dam at the confluence of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot rivers.

Throughout her career, Tracy has focused on bringing people together to solve hard problems. She believes public lands and Wilderness are among America’s best ideas – and among our biggest gifts to the future. With a deep passion for public lands and a commitment to community-based solutions, she is building on The Wilderness Society’s 90-year legacy of safeguarding wild public lands across the United States.

Tracy is an avid hiker, backpacker and hunter, and is married to the writer Richard Manning. They venture into wild places every year.

The Wild Idea is independently produced by Wild Idea Media. If you believe conversations like this matter, you can help us keep them going by subscribing, leaving a review, sharing the episode, or signing up for our newsletter at thewildidea.com. Together, we can protect what connects us.