This week’s Wild Line begins with the President’s decision to greenlight construction of the Ambler Road through the heart of northwestern Alaska, a move that’s drawn fierce opposition from tribal and conservation groups. We also cover new developments in Congress affecting millions of acres of BLM lands in Montana and North Dakota, and legislation that would allow border patrol operations inside wilderness areas. Plus: setbacks in federal wildfire mitigation, the creation of a new Wildland Fire Service, changes to NEPA guidance, major EPA funding cuts, and state and local conservation news from Wyoming, West Virginia, Maine, Florida, and California. Finally, a Nobel Prize story that started deep in Montana’s backcountry.

Ambler Road – Alaska

On Monday, President Trump signed an order directing the approval of the Ambler Road through the remote backcountry of northwestern Alaska. The project would cut across Gates of the Arctic National Park and fragment the migration route of the Western Arctic caribou herd.

“The idea of building a road to the Ambler mining district has been around since 2015,” said Matt Jackson, Alaska State Senior Manager for The Wilderness Society. “It would be a 211-mile spur off the Dalton Highway that the public would not be allowed to access. It’s a private industrial road that would still see dozens of massive ore trucks every day, crossing more than 200 miles of the southern Brooks Range and rivers like the Koyukon and the Kobuk.”

Jackson added that “the people benefiting from this road are the people who own the mining company, and for the most part, they’re not Americans. It’s a foreign corporation. It’s alarming to see American public lands and people’s backyards sacrificed for a foreign company’s profit.”

He also questioned the administration’s claims about timing and funding. “Even if the President directs agencies to approve this, those agencies still have to follow the law,” Jackson said. “There are serious questions about water quality, cultural heritage sites, and subsistence rights. People in Alaska aren’t giving up on this, and nobody down south should either.”

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced during a ceremony in the Oval Office that construction is expected to begin in spring 2026 with assistance from the Department of Defense. The decision drew immediate condemnation from Alaska Native leaders and environmental groups, who note that 89 tribes have formally opposed the project.

Federal Workforce and Shutdown Pay – Washington, DC

On Tuesday, the President stated that federal employees affected by the ongoing government shutdown should not receive back pay once it ends, contradicting a law he signed in 2019.

“Until a few days ago, the White House Budget Office’s own guidance affirmed that furloughed workers should receive back pay,” said Bill Hodge. “It appears OMB quietly reversed itself.”

The comments drew bipartisan criticism on Capitol Hill, with condemnation from both Democratic and Republican leaders, including Appropriations Chair Susan Collins and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.

Resource Management Plans – Montana and North Dakota

The Senate voted along party lines on Wednesday to repeal Bureau of Land Management Resource Management Plans in North Dakota and Montana, affecting more than two million acres of public land in the Powder River Basin. The bills now head to the White House for signature.

Supporters of the repeal hope to expand coal mining, but critics warn that using the Congressional Review Act to overturn such plans sets a dangerous precedent.

“The Congressional Review Act is a blunt instrument; it was never meant for resource management plans,” said Anders Reynolds. “Using it this way could cause unintended consequences and delays.”

Border Lands Conservation Act – Washington, DC

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Mike Lee introduced the Border Lands Conservation Act, legislation that mirrors last month’s FLASH Act. The bill would grant the Department of Homeland Security broad powers to construct roads, barriers, and other infrastructure within wilderness areas and national parks within 100 miles of the U.S. border.

The measure also strips the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture of authority to restrict DHS activities on public lands.

“It’s an interesting bill,” said Bob Krumenaker, retired Superintendent of Big Bend National Park. “It postures a lot about how much the sponsors want to preserve the environment of the borderlands and wilderness areas, talking about trash and damage allegedly caused by migrants. Some of that does happen, but having managed nearly 13 percent of the U.S.–Mexico border during my time at Big Bend, I can say the extent of that damage doesn’t justify overriding the authority of the land management agencies or the Wilderness Act.”

“There are already provisions that require the Park Service, Forest Service, and BLM to work with DHS,” Krumenaker said. “They can’t use the Wilderness Act to block legitimate security operations, so the system works. This new bill isn’t necessary, and the justifications for it aren’t supported by the facts.”

Wildfire Mitigation and Forest Service Shortfalls – Nationwide

Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz admitted in a letter to Senator Ron Wyden that the agency is falling behind on wildfire mitigation goals, treating only 2.2 million acres this year compared to 4 million during the final year of the Biden Administration. Schultz wrote that “operational challenges have disproportionately impacted the ability to implement prescribed fire across the country.”

The agency’s workforce has been thinned by retirements and terminations, and the ongoing shutdown has further delayed prescribed burns, particularly in Forest Service Region 1, which includes Montana, Idaho, and parts of Washington and North Dakota.

Interior’s New Wildland Fire Service – Washington, DC

The Department of the Interior has begun searching for a Chief of its newly created Wildland Fire Service, established under a recent secretarial order that consolidates firefighting programs under DOI, diminishing the Forest Service’s traditional role.

According to the official job posting, applicants must be “dedicated to the principles of the American Founding” and “committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, upholding the rule of law, and the United States Constitution.”

NEPA Guidance and Energy Policy – Washington, DC

The Council on Environmental Quality issued new guidance to federal agencies on implementing the National Environmental Policy Act under Executive Order 14154, Unleashing American Energy. The update allows project sponsors to pay fees for expedited environmental reviews and limits analysis to direct impacts, excluding indirect or cumulative effects, even when foreseeable.

Observers note that this could weaken environmental review for major projects across public lands and waters.

EPA Funding Cuts – National Association of Wetland Managers

The Environmental Protection Agency has severed funding to the National Association of Wetland Managers, ending a decade-long partnership that supported state wetland programs. The $1.2 million cut led to the layoffs of four staff members, including Executive Director Marla Stelk. “It’s devastating,” said Stelk. “We’ve spent years building capacity in the states to protect wetlands, and this decision erases much of that progress.”

EPA officials declined to comment on the reasons for the funding termination.

State News

Wyoming: The Bureau of Land Management is considering revisions to the Rock Springs land-use plan finalized last year, potentially reopening portions to oil, gas, and mineral development.

West Virginia: The Forest Service canceled a permit allowing coal-hauling through the Monongahela National Forest after determining the operator violated permit conditions. Conservation groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, applauded the move.

Maine: High school counselor Leslie Trundy has launched a creative disciplinary alternative: hikes instead of detention. Students who break school rules can opt for three-mile walks in nature, a program credited with improving behavior and mood. More HERE

Florida: The Conservation Fund purchased nearly 2,000 acres to expand the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, linking two major bear populations and adding to the state’s Ocala-to-Osceola Wildlife Corridor. Experts note that Florida continues to lose roughly 60,000 acres of open space each year to development.

California: Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 518, creating a framework that allows counties to permit low-impact camping experiences on private lands through platforms like Hipcamp. The measure supports both landowner income and expanded public access to nature.

Backcountry Nobel Surprise – Montana

Before we wrap up, we wanted to share one last story from Montana’s wild country. Dr. Fred Ramsdell was finishing a three-week, off-the-grid hike with his wife when her phone suddenly reconnected, bringing a flood of messages announcing that he had just won the Nobel Prize in Medicine.

“I have a lot of friends,” Ramsdell said, “but they’re not coordinated enough to pull off this joke.”

Dr. Thomas Perlmann of the Nobel Assembly called it the most difficult winner to contact in his career. Proof that sometimes, good things really do happen in the backcountry.

Next Week

On Tuesday, The Wild Idea podcast features Rachel Franchina, Executive Director of the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals.

The Wild Line returns October 17 with more stories from our shared commons.

Until then – act up, and run wild.

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