The power of combining personal stories with facts and building broad coalitions to make sure wild places stay protected.

This special episode marks our first live recording, in partnership with the National Wilderness Coalition during National Wilderness Week in Washington, D.C. Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota joined us to talk about the Boundary Waters, a place she calls one of her favorites on earth. She shares how the wilderness shaped her family’s story, why it’s a national treasure, and how being there offers restoration and a deeper connection to history and place.

Smith also digs into today’s political battles. From efforts to roll back the Roadless Rule to debates over mining and public land protections, she urges advocates not to give in to exhaustion. She points to the power of combining personal stories with facts, highlighting the role of young voices and broad coalitions in making sure wild places stay protected.

Together we ask: How do we sustain ourselves in long fights for conservation? What stories move people more than numbers? And how do we make protecting places like the Boundary Waters a winning cause across the nation?

Today, we explore:

• Self-care in tough times – the importance of rest, nature, and small routines to stay grounded while doing difficult advocacy work

• The Boundary Waters as a national treasure – how this wild place shapes personal lives, family stories, and Minnesota’s identity, while also standing as part of America’s conservation legacy

• Current threats to public lands – rollbacks of the Roadless Rule, mining proposals, and a political push to treat wild places as resources to exploit rather than protect

• The Farm Bill and public lands – why forest and watershed protections often get sidelined in agriculture debates, and the need to bridge gaps in understanding across Congress

• Advocacy strategies that work – blending personal stories with solid data, mobilizing young and diverse voices, and staying sharp in debates over jobs, security, and energy

• Emotional and spiritual connections to wilderness – the grounding experience of being fully present in wild places, and honoring the long history of Indigenous stewardship

• Building coalitions and finding common ground – how unlikely alliances can stop bad policies, and why persistence and creative partnerships matter in conservation fights

• Changing the politics of protection – shifting the debate so supporting wild places is not just morally right, but also politically smart and broadly popular

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

Links & Resources:

Organizations, Coalitions & Campaigns

• National Wilderness Coalition – hosts Wilderness Week in Washington, DC, bringing advocates together on Capitol Hill
• Save the Boundary Waters – Minnesota-based group leading the fight to protect the Boundary Waters
• Alaska Wilderness League – grew out of the Alaska Coalition, central in Arctic Refuge campaigns
• The Steger Center – engages youth and community in wilderness education and advocacy

Places and Landmarks

• Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (Minnesota) – central focus of the conversation, a protected wilderness of lakes and forests
• Quetico (Ontario, Canada) – neighboring wilderness area connected to the Boundary Waters by historic canoe routes
• Lake Harriet (Minneapolis, MN) – local park and lake Senator Smith visits for restoration
• St. Croix River (Minnesota and Wisconsin) – protected as a Wild and Scenic River, cited as a legacy of Walter Mondale

Government and Policy References

• U.S. Forest Service – part of USDA, manages federal forests and plays a role in Farm Bill debates
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – oversees both farming programs and the Forest Service
• Senate Agriculture Committee – key venue where conservation competes with farm and commodity priorities
• Farm Bill – major piece of legislation shaping agriculture, nutrition, and conservation policy
• Great American Outdoors Act – landmark conservation funding law supported by advocates
• Roadless Rule – our episode with Chris Wood on the Roadless Rule: the federal rule protecting roadless areas from development, now under threat
• Public Lands Rule – current federal rule setting protections and guidelines for public lands, also under threat
  

Tina Smith was born in New Mexico, worked on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline at 19 to help pay for college, and later earned her MBA at Dartmouth, where she met her husband, Archie. They moved to Minnesota in 1984 and never looked back. Tina built a career in business and as an executive at Planned Parenthood before stepping into public service, first by volunteering on local campaigns and later serving as chief of staff to Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Governor Mark Dayton. In 2015 she became Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, and just two years later was appointed to the U.S. Senate, where she has since been elected twice to continue serving the state she calls home.

Today, Tina is known for her collaborative style and a knack for turning local concerns into national action. She has helped pass more than 70 bills, expanded broadband across Minnesota, made health care more affordable, and played a key role in establishing Juneteenth as a national holiday. She’s been a strong voice for Tribal communities, reproductive rights, clean energy, and public lands, including returning thousands of acres to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. When she’s not working, Tina loves to be outdoors hiking, skiing, or birdwatching with Archie, their kids and grandkids, and their dog Moose.

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.