This week’s Wild Line tracks a fast-moving series of decisions on Capitol Hill and inside federal agencies that could reshape protections for wilderness, public lands, and conservation efforts nationwide. Bill and Anders cover the House vote targeting the Boundary Waters, contentious testimony around the EXPLORE Act, Interior Department actions affecting grazing and bison restoration in Montana, and a long-stalled highway project approved inside a National Conservation Area.

House Votes to Undo Boundary Waters Protections

On Wednesday, the House approved Representative Pete Stauber’s bill to overturn a 20-year mineral withdrawal protecting the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the most visited wilderness area in the United States.

The bill now moves to the Senate, where the Parliamentarian has yet to determine whether it will require a simple majority or 60 votes to pass — a critical test, especially since both Senators from Minnesota oppose the measure.

Take Action:

Listeners are encouraged to contact their Senators and urge them to oppose this bill.

• Visit SaveTheBoundaryWaters.org to use their online messaging tool.
• Call the Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-1321 and ask to speak with a Senator from your state

A simple call script is included below:

“I’m calling to urge you to vote NO on H.J. Res 140. This resolution would strip protections from 225,000 acres near the Boundary Waters and hand American public lands to a mining corporation. The House has already passed this giveaway to billionaires. The Senator must stop it. Please vote No on H.J. Res 140.”

EXPLORE Act Hearing and the Fixed Anchor Debate

The House Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing marking one year since passage of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act (EXPLORE Act). At the center of the debate is whether fixed climbing anchors constitute an “installation” under the Wilderness Act. If defined as such, anchors would require a Minimum Requirements Analysis, the same process used for trails, bridges, and other infrastructure in wilderness.

Interior Pulls American Prairie Grazing Leases

Following up on reporting from the December 19 edition of The Wild Line, the Department of the Interior announced it is pulling federal grazing permits on 63,000 acres previously held by American Prairie. We hear from Alison Fox, CEO of American Prairie, on what this decision means for their work — and how its implications extend far beyond a single organization.

I think what a lot of landowners are paying attention to, and we’ve heard from many of them, is that this is the first time to our knowledge that …BLM has put in place any sort of production standard. And so just to be clear, American Prairie has been grazing on these lands for decades. We started our bison program in 2005. We got permission to…to graze bison on those public or at least one allotment in 2005. The BLM has made that decision again and again that our bison as livestock can be on those allotments as most recently as their 2022 decision that they were defending. So we’ve followed all the rules and regulations. We’ve built our program. We’ve built this part of our business relying on…on these rules and regulations and this is a departure from that.

Highway Approved Through Red Cliffs National Conservation Area

The Bureau of Land Management approved the Northern Corridor Highway, reversing a 2024 decision that rejected Utah’s proposal to build a four-lane highway through the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area near St. George. The project had previously been denied seven times due to public safety concerns, legal issues, community opposition, and threats to wildlife.

Leadership Shift Between Interior and Agriculture

Michael Boren, formerly serving as Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget at the Department of the Interior, was sworn in this week as Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and the Environment, overseeing the U.S. Forest Service.

Next Week

That’s our report for January 23, 2026. We’ll be back next Friday with another Wild Line.

Next week brings the fourth episode in our month-long exploration of the Roadless Rule, plus another full report from across the world of public lands, conservation, and environmental policy.

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.