On Land

Western Landowners Alliance
  • 5.0 (19)
  • PLACES & TRAVEL
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to the On Land podcast. On this show we'll be bringing you thoughtful conversations with the people who are living and working on the land and shaping the future of stewardship in the American West.

  1. 12/11/2025

    On Land Presents: Reframing Rural's "Succession Stories"

    Today we're sharing an episode from our friends at Reframing Rural, an award-winning documentary podcast telling honest, place-rooted stories of rural people and communities. Their new season, "Succession Stories," offers an intimate look at the family farm and ranch succession process - something rarely talked about openly, yet central to the future of working lands.  Before we roll the episode, we sit down for a short conversation with the show's creator, Megan Torgerson, to hear what she's learning from families across Montana.  Show Notes: https://onland.westernlandowners.org/2025/podcast/listen-new-podcast-season-provides-an-intimate-look-into-the-family-farm-and-ranch-succession-process/   Photo credit: Morgan Ellis

    1h 7m

  2. 12/04/2025

    What's Ahead for America's Public Lands with Jesse Juen, Former BLM State Director

    Today, we're looking at the future of the Bureau of Land Management — a federal agency that oversees nearly 250 million acres of land in the West.    We're in the middle of a critical moment for public lands, especially the BLM. Staffing and budget cuts are hitting an agency that's already stretched thin, there's still no confirmed director, and a recent ProPublica investigation is once again raising questions about oversight of the grazing program.   To help put all these headlines in context, and consider what reforms might even be possible, WLA's CEO Lesli Allison sat down with Jesse Juen, former New Mexico State Director of the BLM.  Show notes: https://onland.westernlandowners.org/2025/podcast/whats-ahead-for-americas-public-lands-with-jesse-juen-former-blm-state-director/

    1 hr

  3. 11/25/2025

    On Water: Slowing Water in the Big Hole Valley with Rancher Erik Kalsta

    Today we're digging into a deceptively simple tool with big impacts on water and soil health: rock weirs. Rancher and Working Wild Challenge director Erik Kalsta joins us from Montana's Big Hole Valley to explain how he uses these low-tech structures to slow water and reduce erosion on his operation. He shares what he's learned from years of observing the land — and why small interventions can create big change. Show notes: https://onland.westernlandowners.org/2025/podcast/using-rock-weirs-to-slow-water-in-the-big-hole-valley-with-rancher-erik-kalsta/

    36 min
  4. California Wolves, 87 Dead Cattle, and the NYT Op-Ed Everyone's Sharing

    11/18/2025

    California Wolves, 87 Dead Cattle, and the NYT Op-Ed Everyone's Sharing

    California's recent decision to remove four members of a wolf pack near Lake Tahoe sparked national attention - but the story behind it is much bigger.  Today on the On Land feed, we're sharing a special episode from our sister show, Working Wild University, which WLA produces with wildlife management specialist and prof. Jared Beaver at Montana State University Extension. In this episode, Wildlife Management professor at UC Berkeley, Dr. Arthur Middleton, joins us to dig into his recent New York Times op-ed and explore why America's predator recovery has outpaced our ability to support the people living in these landscape – and what we can do about it.   Show notes: https://onland.westernlandowners.org/2025/podcast/california-wolves-87-dead-cattle-and-the-nyt-op-ed-everyones-sharing/ This episode was hosted by Jared Beaver and produced by Zach Altman, with support from Avery Shawler and Louis Wertz.

    33 min

  5. 10/21/2025

    Inside the Movement to Fund Rural America with Erin Borla

    Only 7% of philanthropic dollars goes toward rural America, and our guest today is working to change that.   Today our CEO Lesli Allison sits down with Erin Borla, executive director of the Roundhouse Foundation in Sisters, Oregon. Erin's helping reimagine what philanthropy looks like in rural and tribal communities, through both the Foundation's grantmaking and their podcast Funding Rural. Show notes: https://onland.westernlandowners.org/2025/podcast/inside-the-movement-to-fund-rural-america-with-erin-borla/

    43 min

  6. 10/01/2025

    What to do about Sprawl with Ken Mirr

    The American West is changing fast, and one of the biggest forces shaping that change is development. Sprawl - those 35-acre subdivisions and ranchettes you see spreading across the landscape - can mean paradise for some, and the unraveling of communities, wildlife habitat and productive landscapes for others.  Today we're talking about what's driving that growth, what it means for landowners and rural economies and what kinds of solutions might help us strike a balance between private property rights, conservation and community needs.   On the show today, our CEO Lesli Allison sits down with Ken Mirr, founder of Mirr Ranch Group and longtime land broker who has worked at the intersection of ranching, conservation and real estate for decades.  Show notes: https://onland.link/podcast

    48 min

  7. 07/22/2025

    Conservation Without Conflict with Leo Miranda

    The Endangered Species Act has helped save iconic species from extinction - but it's also created real tension for the private landowners who manage the majority of wildlife habitat in the U.S.  In this episode, WLA CEO Lesli Allison sits down with Leo Miranda, executive director of Conservation Without Conflict and former Southeast Regional Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. From his early days as a field biologist in Puerto Rico to leading one of the most innovative regional conservation efforts in the country, and as a farmer in Georgia, Leo brings a unique perspective on what it takes to shift from conflict to collaboration.  Together, they explore how trust, transparency, and voluntary partnerships have produced conservation successes in the Southeast - and what it will take to scale those successes across the West.  Find show notes and more: https://onland.link/podcast Like what you hear? Make a gift today: https://westernlandowners.org/support/

    51 min

  8. 06/27/2025

    What's next for the Farm Bill?

    The Farm Bill. A piece of legislation that quietly shapes much of life in this country - especially for those of us in rural America.  The Farm Bill influences everything from food access to conservation, crop insurance to rural infrastructure. And yet, for how far-reaching it is, most Americans know very little about what's actually in it - or what's at stake when it comes up for renewal.  To help unpack the history, the politics, and the uncertain path ahead, Lesli Allison, our CEO here at Western Landowners Alliance, speaks with two former high-ranking staffers who served in the Senate Agriculture Committee, Jonathan Coppess, former chief counsel under former senator and chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat from Michigan, and Joel Leftwich, a former staff director under former senator and chairman Pat Roberts, a Republican from Kansas.  Find the show notes here: https://onland.link/podcast

    55 min
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Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

Welcome to the On Land podcast. On this show we'll be bringing you thoughtful conversations with the people who are living and working on the land and shaping the future of stewardship in the American West.

Information

  • Creator
    Western Landowners Alliance
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Western Landowners Alliance, all rights reserved
  • Show Website
    On Land

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