This week, Congress returned to Washington and immediately released draft versions of several major FY26 funding bills affecting public lands, wildlife, wildfire management, and conservation programs across the federal government. While these bills still reflect deep cuts compared to current spending levels, they notably reject many of the most extreme proposals put forward by the Trump Administration.

We also track renewed congressional efforts to advance the Fix Our Forests Act, unpack a tragic and rare fatal mountain lion attack in Colorado, and examine how states are stepping in to protect wetlands and waterways after the Supreme Court’s rollback of Clean Water Act protections.

Plus: progress on climate resilience at Washington, DC’s iconic Tidal Basin, and an urgent call to action surrounding a proposed logging project in Montana’s Flathead National Forest that would cut into roadless, wilderness-recommended, and Wild & Scenic River lands.

FY26 Interior, Environment & Related Agencies Funding

Draft FY26 legislation would allocate $38.6 billion for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies — $9.5 billion above the Trump Administration’s budget request. The bill also preserves wildfire suppression funding and rejects efforts to consolidate federal fire management agencies.

Fix Our Forests Act: Another Hearing, Same Flawed Premise

Despite already passing the House and clearing the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Fix Our Forests Act received yet another hearing this week. The legislation rests on the disputed claim that large-scale logging across national forests reduces wildfire risk — a premise critics argue ignores science, limits public input, and weakens accountability in federal land management.

Fatal Mountain Lion Attack in Colorado

Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed the state’s first fatal mountain lion attack since 1999. While interactions with mountain lions have increased in recent years, fatal attacks remain exceedingly rare.

For more on the complex realities of wildlife management and human-wildlife conflict, listen to (or revisit) our conversation with Malcolm Brooks in Episode 35: The Fallout from Ballot Box Biology.

Colorado Moves to Protect Wetlands After Clean Water Act Rollbacks

Colorado finalized new “dredge and fill” rules requiring state permits for projects impacting wetlands and waterways that no longer receive federal protection. The rules respond directly to the Supreme Court’s narrowing of Clean Water Act jurisdiction — a decision that could leave up to 97% of Colorado’s wetlands unprotected.

The new regulations have received rare bipartisan and cross-industry support, including from conservation groups and the American Petroleum Institute. New Mexico is expected to take similar action later this year. We spoke with Carrie Sandstedt of The Pew Charitable Trusts, who said:

In the wake of the 2023 Sackett decision, which reduced protections for most of Colorado’s wetlands and streams, Colorado was the first state in the nation to pass legislation to ensure that the state’s waters were protected and this legislation directed the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission to develop a rule to safeguard the state’s waterways from pollution caused by unregulated development, while also providing a regulatory pathway for projects that include dredge and fill activities. And the new regulation will conserve up to 70 % of Colorado’s rivers and almost all of its wetlands. And these waterways are vitally important in providing clean drinking water, helping sustain the state’s outdoor recreation economy and conserving wildlife habitat.

Climate Resilience at the Tidal Basin

The Department of the Interior announced early completion of the Tidal Basin seawall reconstruction, protecting landmarks including the Jefferson Memorial, MLK Memorial, and DC’s famed cherry blossoms.

Funded by the Great American Outdoors Act, the project addresses decades of subsidence, tidal flooding, and infrastructure failure — preparing the site for sea-level rise and stronger storms.

Flathead National Forest: Moccasin Granite Project

The Forest Service has proposed the Moccasin Granite Project, a logging initiative that would occur in designated roadless areas, impact lands recommended for wilderness designation, affect a federally designated Wild & Scenic River corridor, and require construction of over 7 miles of new roads.

The project is being advanced under an Emergency Action Determination, eliminating the formal objection process and allowing only a short public comment window closing January 15. We’ve included the link to the online comment form below. 

This landscape borders the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex and Glacier National Park and is critical habitat for grizzly bear recovery. For more context on the threat to roadless areas, visit our Roadless Month page. Special thanks to Tristan Scott (Flathead Beacon) for ongoing reporting.

Utah Expands Good Neighbor Authority on Forest Service Lands

Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz and Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed an expansion of the Good Neighbor Authority that significantly increases Utah’s role in managing federal forest lands. As with similar agreements in Idaho and Montana, the deal allows the state not only to carry out timber sales, but also to scope projects and make final management decisions traditionally reserved for the Forest Service. The move raises fresh questions about accountability, public oversight, and the future of national forest management.

In Memoriam: Congressman Doug LaMalfa

We mark the passing of Congressman Doug LaMalfa of California, who served on the House Natural Resources Committee for over a decade and previously chaired the Western Caucus.

Take Action

📣 Public Comment Deadline: January 15

Speak up against the Moccasin Granite Project and similar proposals that undermine roadless protections, wildlife habitat, and public process. Submit a comment electronically via the Forest Service’s website.

Next Week

That’s our report for Jauary 9, 2026. We’ll be back next Friday with another Wild Line.

Coming Tuesday on The Wild Idea: Roadless Month continues as Anders and Bill talk with Bjorn Fredrickson & Raul Turrieta about the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico.

Until then—act up and run wild.

January is Roadless Month on The Wild Idea.

Throughout the month, we’re exploring the landscapes, communities, and ideas shaped by America’s roadless public lands — and what’s at stake as these protections face renewed threats.

Why? Because decisions being discussed right now affect public land forever.

Join us all month long for conversations about roadless landscapes across the country, from the Southern Appalachians to the Tongass, the Gila Wilderness, and beyond. Check back for new episodes, resources, and opportunities to engage all month long, and please follow us on social media or share this episode with a friend. 

Subscribe to our show on your favorite podcast player, and be sure to follow us on social media, too: we’re on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. We also send out a weekly newsletter with updates on our show: sign up for that list right here.