This week on The Wild Line, we’re tracking Chiricahua’s new national park designation, a proposal to open Utah’s Ouray refuge to oil and gas, a $105 million Tallgrass Energy gift to Yellowstone Forever, and a Senate permitting deal that could reshape the Endangered Species Act. From Arizona’s sky islands to Big Bend, these stories show who is shaping the future of public lands and wildlife protections.

🎧 Listen to the full episode for context, analysis, and what to watch next.

President Trump Signs Chiricahua National Park Act

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed the Chiricahua National Park Act, converting Chiricahua National Monument in southeastern Arizona into Chiricahua National Park. The roughly 12,000-acre park near Willcox is known for rhyolite spires and balanced rocks left by a volcanic eruption about 27 million years ago, and sits in the Sky Island of the Chiricahua Mountains, where desert, grassland, and forest ecosystems converge. First protected as a monument in 1924, it is the homeland of the Chiricahua Apache. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the designation will help welcome more visitors and strengthen local economies.

Trump Announces Montana “Super Range” Without Saying Where

At a Kalispell campaign rally last week, President Trump announced that the Department of War will build a Montana “super range” to test autonomous weapons, space and electronic warfare technology, and supersonic and hypersonic systems. He did not say where it would be, what it would cost, or when testing would start, and Montana outlets that contacted the Pentagon and the state’s congressional delegation learned little more. Speculation points to the Powder River area east of Billings. Montana Democratic Party Chair Bruce Knutson criticized the announcement for not saying who will be affected or what it means for public lands.

Blackstone-Controlled Tallgrass Energy Donates $105 Million to Yellowstone Forever

This week, Blackstone-controlled Tallgrass Energy, run by Matthew Sheehy, brother of Montana Senator Tim Sheehy, announced a $105 million donation to Yellowstone Forever, the park’s nonprofit partner and concessionaire. The money is earmarked for park infrastructure, scientific research, visitor access, and the Tallgrass WYld Yellowstone Initiative. Many see it as an attempt to greenwash a company building oil and gas pipelines and data center infrastructure in Wyoming. Senator Sheehy’s company, Bridger Aviation, is also Blackstone-controlled, and Interior Secretary Burgum attended, leading a department he has cut by more than 23%.

BLM Proposes Oil and Gas Leasing Beneath Utah’s Ouray National Wildlife Refuge

The Bureau of Land Management is proposing to open roughly 5,200 acres of federal minerals beneath Ouray National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Utah to new oil and gas development by amending the resource management plan that governs the area. Defenders of Wildlife called the move illegal, citing federal regulations that prohibit new leasing within the National Wildlife Refuge System. The refuge supports more than 350 wildlife species, including the threatened yellow-billed cuckoo, and Defenders warns success here could become a roadmap for the system’s more than 570 refuges.

Save the Redwoods League Returns 125 Acres to the Yurok Tribe

This past June, Save the Redwoods League transferred 125 acres in Yurok ancestral territory near Redwood National Park back to the Yurok Tribe, in an agreement that prioritizes tribal land management, creates new public space, and protects critical salmon habitat. The site was a lumber mill for more than 50 years before the league purchased and conserved it in 2013. It has reopened for recreation, and the tribe plans a traditional village for educational purposes. Catch our conversation with past guest Amy Bowers Cordalis in Ep 80.

Forest Service Travel Management Revision Would Open Routes to Motorized Use by Default

The Wilderness Society released a map showing how much national forest land already sits within a half mile of existing roads or motorized routes, with more than 300,000 miles of roads and motorized trails open to the public. The administration is proposing to revise the Forest Service travel management rule, flipping the current “closed until designated open” system so all routes would be open to motorized use unless marked closed. The Wilderness Society’s Paul Sanford, Director of Equitable Access Policy Advocacy, said thoughtful travel planning protects responsible recreation while giving wildlife space.

Defenders of Wildlife: Senate Permitting Deal Would Cripple Endangered Species Act Implementation

Congress is expected to take up the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 after the election. Chris Westfall, Senior Government Relations Legislative Counsel for Defenders of Wildlife, says the deal fixes a speed problem that does not exist, since formal ESA consultations take about two months and informal ones two weeks. He argues it would hand reviews to states that may lack staff and expertise, let projects skip consultation entirely, and let the administration lock in fossil fuel projects. Westfall urges listeners to call their senators or visit defenders.org.

DOJ Asks Supreme Court to Allow Border Wall Construction in Big Bend National Park

The Department of Justice this week sought Supreme Court action to continue border wall construction through Big Bend National Park. Federal District Judge Kathleen Cardone earlier this month issued a preliminary injunction halting all border construction and groundbreaking across the Big Bend landscape and lifting the waivers of federal law until the case is resolved. On October 8, Homeland Security attorneys moved to stay her order and said they would seek expedited Supreme Court relief. Emily Thompson, Executive Director of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, said she is hopeful the Court will uphold Judge Cardone’s ruling that DHS exceeded congressional intent.

The Wild Line is sponsored by The Wilderness Society.

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