When people want very different experiences from the same winter landscape, can a map help them find common ground?

Winter travel plans determine where snowmobiles and other over-snow vehicles may travel on public lands—and where areas are managed for quieter, non-motorized recreation, wildlife, and other resources.

In this episode, panelists draw on examples from Idaho, Colorado, and Montana to explore how local collaboration can shape fair, durable plans, even as federal capacity and the policies guiding that work become increasingly uncertain.

The conversation was moderated by Winter Wildlands Alliance Executive Director David Page, who died unexpectedly in July 2026. We are deeply grateful to share David’s voice and to hear him doing what he did so well: asking thoughtful questions, bringing people together, and imagining a better future for public lands. We dedicate this episode to his memory.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: This episode was recorded at the Grassroots Advocacy Conference in September 2025. Since then, the Rio Grande National Forest in Colorado has released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for winter travel management and completed a public comment period. While some of the discussion in this episode reflects an earlier stage of the process, planning on the Rio Grande National Forest is actively moving forward.

SPEAKERS:

• Brittany Leffel, Colorado Policy Manager, Winter Wildlands Alliance
• Lynn Padgett, Commissioner, Ouray County, Colorado
• Zach Angstead, Federal Legislative Director, Wild Montana
• Moderator: David Page, Executive Director, Winter Wildlands Alliance

RESOURCES

• Winter Wildlands Alliance Action Center

• What Is Winter Travel Management?

• Change Is an Endurance Sport: 25 Years of Winter Wildlands Alliance

• Rio Grande National Forest Draft Winter Travel Plan

• Rio Grande National Forest Over-Snow Travel Management Project

• Kootenai Winter Travel Collaborative

• Ouray Regional Recreation and Conservation Alliance

• Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnerships Initiative

CREDITS

Produced and co-hosted by Anneka Williams and Emily Scott

Edited by Adam Titmuss

Theme music by Rattlesnake Preachers featuring Kerry McClay

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions