Featuring experts from across the country, this special episode of the Mountain & Prairie podcast explores the challenges facing our national forests and what to do about them. From historic Forest Service policy to the modern implementation of prescribed fire, the panel offers valuable insights into the wildfire crisis and hope for how we can emerge from it with healthier, more resilient forest ecosystems.
This episode was filmed during a live panel discussion following the premiere of PERC’s newest short film, Good Fire, Bad Fire at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, in May 2024.
Meet the Speakers
Ed Roberson
Mountain & Prairie
Ed is a Colorado-based conservationist and creator of Mountain & Prairie, a popular podcast featuring long-form conversations with innovators on the American West.
Brian Ferebee
U.S. Forest Service
Brian is the chief executive of intergovernmental relations for the U.S. Forest Service. He coordinates with state and local governments on implementing federal forestry policy. He began his career as a wildlife biologist for the Emmett Ranger District within the Boise National Forest and served as regional forester for the Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Region before taking on his current role.
Randy Newberg
Fresh Tracks & Hunt Talk
Randy is a hunter and advocate for public lands. He hosts the popular TV show Fresh Tracks and the long-standing Hunt Talk podcast.
Morgan Varner
Tall Timbers
Morgan is the director of fire research at Tall Timbers, a land trust and research organization dedicated to the study of fire ecology, prescribed fire, and land management. He holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Ecology from the University of Florida School of Natural Resources & Environment.
Hannah Downey
PERC
Hannah is the policy director at PERC, leading policy strategy and government affairs efforts to implement key policy reforms based on PERC’s groundbreaking research.
Corey Lewellen
U.S. Forest Service
Corey is the district ranger for the Bozeman Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service. He started his Forest Service career in the Willamette National Forest in Oregon as a fish technician, a fisheries biologist, an assistant aquatics program manager, and an Endangered Species Act consultation biologist.
Brian Yablonski
PERC
Brian is PERC’s chief executive officer. Brian also currently serves on the board of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and is a professional member of the Boone and Crockett Club. He was previously chairman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
