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

Public lands are for everyone, but not everyone can access them. In winter, that gap only grows. From finding a place to park, to affording gear, to knowing what’s safe—winter recreation comes with real barriers. And for many communities, those barriers go far beyond logistics. So what does it actually take to make winter access possible for all? Across the country, organizations are working to open the door through new partnerships, community-led programs, and rethinking what access really means. Because access isn’t just about getting people outside—it’s about connection. The more people connect with wild places, the more they’ll care about them and fight to protect them.

SPEAKERS:

• Cal’ Smith, Director of Winter Programming, Climbers of Color
• Megan Fiske, California Stewardship Director, Winter Wildlands Alliance
• Will Russack, Board of Directors, Cascade Backcountry Alliance
• Anthony Cupaiuolo, Executive Director Tahoe Backcountry Alliance
• Moderator: Kerry McClay, WWA National Snowschool Program Director at Winter Wildlands Alliance

RESOURCES:

Winter Wildlands Alliance SnowSchool

Climbers of Color

Tahoe Backcountry Alliance

Cascade Backcountry Alliance

Find your local Winter Wildlands Alliance Grassroots Group

SUPPORTED BY: Outdoor Alliance, REI Co-op, The Mountaineers, Duct Tape Then Beer/Dirt Bag Diaries, High Country News, Phreem Family Brewers,University of Washington’s Pack Forest, and Mountain Training Center

CREDITS:

Produced and co-hosted by Anneka Williams and Emily Scott

Edited by Adam Titmuss

Theme music by Rattlesnake Preachers feat. Kerry McClay

Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Outdoor recreation on public lands is booming, but the funding to manage those lands is shrinking. As maintenance backlogs grow and budgets vital for outdoor recreation, public lands and waters tighten— the question is dire: will anyone bear the cost of managing public lands? And what happens if no one does? As federal funding falters, states, nonprofits, and local communities are stepping in. But is that a sustainable solution—or does it fundamentally reshape what national public lands are meant to be?

SPEAKERS:

• Betsy Robblee, Conservation and Advocacy Director, The Mountaineers

• John Garder, Senior Director of Budget & Appropriations, National Parks Conservation Alliance

• Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources

• Moderator: Garrett Brennan, Raven Analytics + Three Pin Strategy

RESOURCES:

• ⁠⁠Great American Outdoors Act

• Land And Water Conservation Fund

• America the Beautiful Act

• National Parks Conservation Association

• Keep Colorado Wild Pass

• Outdoor Alliance

• ⁠⁠Subscribe to Winter Wildlands Alliance⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Winter Wildlands Alliance Stash Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠Winter Wildlands Alliance Action Center⁠

SUPPORTED BY: Outdoor Alliance, REI Co-op, The Mountaineers, Duct Tape Then Beer/Dirt Bag Diaries, High Country News, Phreem Family Brewers, and University of Washington’s Pack Forest.

CREDITS:

• Produced and co-hosted by Anneka Williams and Emily Scott
• Edited by Adam Titmuss
• Theme music by Rattlesnake Preachers feat. Kerry McClay
• Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions