TRCP Applauds Brian Nesvik Confirmation as Fish and Wildlife Service Director
Former Wyoming Game and Fish Directora friend to hunters and anglers
Today, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership cheers the Senate confirmation of Brian Nesvik to lead the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The new FWS Director previously served as the Wyoming Game and Fish Director and has an extensive track record of working to conserve and manage fish and wildlife species and their habitat.
“TRCP has worked with Nesvik for many years, and we are pleased to have him in the role of Fish and Wildlife Service Director,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of TRCP. “We look forward to working with him in his new capacity to conserve fish and wildlife habitat and bolster hunting and fishing opportunities.”
The USFWS manages more than 560 National Wildlife Refuges and 70 national fish hatcheries that provide crucial habitat and support opportunities to hunt and fish across the nation. The USFWS also oversees the Endangered Species Act and the Migratory Bird Act as well as programs focused on managing invasive species and providing oversight on importing and exporting wildlife.
TRCP’s Western conservation communications manager reflects on the recent victory for public lands and the opportunities this freedom affords
My dad and I worked our way up the creek, which was the only way through the willows, the only path to follow. The stream emptied the peaks above and had flattened out in this hanging valley before it would again find its course to pour lower into the valley.
Where the water gained a foot of depth in front of a young ponderosa that had fallen in, we watched cutthroat trout interrupt the flow as they rose to a hatch of small, gray mayflies that tumbled in the current.
I’d caught a 10-incher in the last bend, so dad took his position on the left bank. Back far enough so his shadow wouldn’t reach over the water, he cast a #14 purple haze toward the top of the run in the bubble line that hugged the grass.
On a day like the one we’d been having, there should’ve been no surprise when the trout appeared below the fly. But there is always a reaction—the same as when a woodcock flushes from cover, or a deer walks into a clearing—of a trout materializing where only a moment ago there was none.
The trout followed the drift for a moment, then swallowed the fly with confidence. Dad’s 3wt bowed with the strong runs and we shared smiles watching the beautiful fish turn in the clear water. The black-spotted Westslope cutthroat came to his hand. The pastel cheek iridescent above the orange flash of the slash beneath the chin.
After a quick picture, the fish bolted back into the depth, disappearing in the nervous water as mayflies continued to float past.
“Plenty of water ahead,” my dad said, drying his hands on his pants.
“And plenty of day to fill,” I smiled back.
For the last dozen summers, my dad and I have spent weeks together in the backcountry of America’s public lands. Sometimes my mom and brother would accompany us, other times my wife, but the constant has been my dad and me folding into the routine of sleeping, eating, and fishing.
This most recent trip felt different. Not that anything had changed, but that it had stayed the same.
During the months before our father-son-first-week-of-July excursion, I’d worked with dozens of members of our TRCP team to help elevate the voices of tens of thousands of fellow hunters and anglers, leading outdoor brands, and partners in urging lawmakers to remove public land sales from budget reconciliation legislation.
We built action alerts and sent emails, organized letters and meetings, called our representatives and spread the news far and wide. We experienced small victories and setbacks and kept pushing knowing that every message to Congress was another step toward keeping our public lands in public hands. It was a powerful and moving moment to be committed our public lands that are the pride of our nation. I was honored to play a small part in this work.
By the time my trip rolled around, the team knew a decision was imminent, yet nothing had been announced. The day before I disappeared into mountains remote enough to bar me from any news, the amendment that would have mandated the sale of millions of acres of public lands was removed.
The celebration began across social media, news outlets, and emails from engaged organizations. The challenge that we had spent months working to overcome was overcome thanks to tens of thousands of conservation-minded people, as well as national, state, and local hunting and fishing businesses and organizations, and leadership from a bipartisan group of public land champions in Congress. Public lands had won!
The beaver dam had been blown out, but still the far side benefited from the slower water where the foundation clung to the bottom. A willow carcass made the run that much more enticing to fish and a danger to an errant cast.
And an errant cast was thrown by me so that my royal Wulff wrapped around a skinny finger of a branch and hung there for just long enough that disappointment grew in my stomach for ruining such a pool. Then, gracefully, the tug of the current on my line pulled the hook to set it free and the fly landed on the water.
Because the accidental placement became accidentally perfect for the drift, a cutthroat rose and swallowed the fly. I watched the orange sides turn and bully into the tangle. My tippet held and finally the trout came into the shallows where I beheld its spot-free side before the black studs appeared on the tail. A perfect fish in a perfect stream.
When the cutthroat returned to the run, Dad and I took a moment to drink some water before continuing. In that still moment, a time when our minds weren’t only occupied by the best path around a log jam or if that stretch was worth fishing, we each said out loud how grateful we were to live in a country that has public land where we can explore and be together without any worry or need to ask permission. That these millions of acres are ours to cherish.
And then we went back to fishing.
The victory of defeating public land sales is worth celebrating, but this most recent challenge is a reminder that our public lands are never guaranteed.
Learn more about how you can stay engaged on hunting and fishing access through our updated Public Land Access webpage below.
Understanding the past and present of BLM’s land disposal authority
Earlier this summer, tens of thousands of engaged hunters and anglers across the country, as well as national, state, and local hunting and fishing businesses and organizations, and leadership from a bipartisan group of public land champions in Congress defeated an amendment in budget reconciliation legislation that would have forced the sale of up to 3 million acres of public lands. This victory underscores the need to understand how public lands, particularly Bureau of Land Management acres, were established and what current laws guide public land sales and disposals.
At TRCP, we believe America’s public lands are a shared legacy that should be retained for future generations to enjoy. While we strongly oppose large-scale transfers or sales of public lands, we recognize that small, community-driven land sales or exchanges can be appropriate. For us to support such proposals, they must:
Clearly benefit local communities.
Preserve or enhance existing hunting, fishing, and recreational access.
Include a robust public process.
Avoid disposal of lands with important fish and wildlife habitats.
Ensure that proceeds from any sale are reinvested in conservation and public access.
Where It All Began: A Nation Built on Land Disposal
The United States’ expansionist vision in the 19th Century drove a series of major land acquisitions such as the Louisiana Purchase (1803), the Oregon Territory (1846), and the Alaska Purchase (1867), which dramatically expanded the amount of land managed by the federal government. At its peak, the federal government owned approximately 1.8 billion acres. To fuel westward expansion and promote economic growth, federal policies prioritized disposing of these lands to settlers and private companies.
By the mid-20th century, the national mindset had begun to shift. The frontier had closed, and public demand grew for recreation, conservation, and more deliberate land stewardship. In 1946, the federal government created the Bureau of Land Management, which inherited responsibility for managing the leftover lands that hadn’t been claimed or sold off. These lands were long considered “disposable,” and for decades lacked a clear guiding mission. But that changed in 1976.
FLPMA and the End of the Disposal Era
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act, passed by Congress in 1976, was a landmark moment in public land history as it ended the government’s longstanding policy of land disposal and replaced it with a new guiding principle: that public lands should be retained in federal ownership unless disposal clearly serves the national interest.
This “retention policy” marked the beginning of the BLM managing lands more intentionally under the principle of multiple use (recreation, conservation, mining, energy development, and grazing) while ensuring sustainable, science-based planning and public involvement.
Importantly, FLPMA didn’t eliminate the ability to sell or exchange public lands. Instead, it imposed strict criteria and public process requirements. Under Section 203 of the law, lands may only be sold if they meet one or more of the following conditions:
They were acquired for a specific purpose and are no longer needed for that or any other federal use;
Their disposal would serve important public objectives, like community expansion or economic development, and those objectives outweigh the public values of keeping the land in federal hands; and
They are difficult and uneconomic to manage due to location or other characteristics and are not suitable for transfer to another federal agency.
Additionally, Section 102 of FLPMA reinforces that land sales must be carefully weighed and support the broader national interest. Any proposed disposal of a parcel of public lands must have been previously identified as ‘available for disposal’ through the land use planning process during the development of more than 160 individual Resource Management Plans. Before any parcel is sold, that specific parcel must also go through a formal public comment and notice.
The BLM Today: Managing Lands for All Americans
Today, the BLM is the largest land management agency in the country, overseeing 245 million surface acres and over 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate. These lands are a cornerstone of America’s hunting, fishing, and outdoor traditions with more than 99% of BLM lands open to hunting and recreational shooting. They also provide important habitat for fish and wildlife, opportunities for hiking, camping, and exploring, and support local economies by providing lands for sustainable grazing and domestic energy development.
Many BLM lands are valuable precisely because they were not sold off during the disposal era. So many of them are rugged, remote, and rich in natural values that make them prized by sportsmen and women and other recreationists. While some parcels identified decades ago as “available for disposal” still appear in planning documents, that designation doesn’t automatically mean they will be sold, especially under today’s laws and standards.
Why It Matters Now
These lands belong to all Americans and are central to TRCP’s mission of guaranteeing all American’s quality places to hunt and fish. Any decision to part with our public lands must be transparent, grounded in science, and open to public scrutiny.
At TRCP, we’re committed to defending America’s public land legacy. We’ll continue working with lawmakers, agency leaders, and conservation partners to ensure that federal land policy upholds the values of access, habitat conservation, and community benefit.
Learn More
Debates about land sales have taken place for decades, most recently in 2025, but the public has had no easy way to see where these parcels marked for potential sale actually sit. onX and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership have teamed up to develop a first-of-its-kind webmap that identifies lands deemed eligible for sale by the Bureau of Land Management.
Explore the map to learn what lands are identified for potential sale near you through the button below.
TRCP’s Chief Conservation Officer drew a coveted Nevada elk tag in 2024, and the hunt, along with some conservation issues of the state, was documented by Randy Newberg and the Fresh Tracks Team. Watch the full episode HERE.
After nearly two decades of applying, Joel Webster, TRCP’s Chief Conservation Officer, was fortunate enough to draw a highly sought-after elk tag in Nevada. The type of elk tag that offers less than 1% draw odds for nonresidents.
Planning began as soon as the tag results were announced, and Webster scouted the area over the summer and fall to familiarize himself with the unit and how to hunt it.
Being a conservation professional, Webster understands that while there are incredible hunting opportunities within Nevada’s Great Basin region, there are also conservation challenges that must be addressed to maintain and enhance hunting opportunities.
Randy Newberg, host of Fresh Tracks and the Hunt Talk Radio podcast, joined Webster in November to help him find a mature bull and to also highlight the conservation issues of the region.
The challenges discussed in the episode include drought, invasive grasses, and feral horses, all of which put a strain on the high desert and island range ecosystems that are crucial to the future of beloved animals such as elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and sage grouse.
Webster (left) and Newberg celebrate a successful pack out.
After cold mornings and evenings glassing and maneuvering around other hunters, Joel was able to punch his tag on a gorgeous 6×6 bull on a juniper-studded slope. A generous gift from public lands to someone committed to helping secure quality places to hunt and fish for all Americans.
“I really care about the future of hunting and fishing in America, and I want to make sure these traditions are sustained and that our rights and opportunities are maintained,” said Webster. “When I get up in the morning, that’s what I focus on all day long and that’s a big part of my life.”
The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.
TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.
Dr. Carolyn Mahan
Hometown: State College, Pennsylvania Occupation: Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies, Penn State Altoona Conservation credentials: Dr. Carolyn Mahan has spent her professional career researching topics to improve conservation across America and the world. Currently, Dr. Mahan’s research interests include wildlife use of human-modified landscapes, management of public lands, and squirrel ecology. Her research has been widely published and cited in top science journals, and she currently serves on Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro’s Advisory Council for Conservation.
Dr. Mahan has researched wildlife around the globe but loves the diverse world of the Appalachian Mountains she calls home. Her education and research combined with passions for hunting and fishing make her a fantastic educator in the Penn State University system, as well as an invaluable expert when working with the oil and gas industry on conservation. Dr. Mahan lives a life that takes active steps toward a future where humans and wildlife can coexist.
Here is her story.
TRCP: How were you introduced to hunting, fishing, and the outdoors? Who introduced you?
Dr. Mahan: I always loved nature, hiking, bird watching, and wildlife. However, my husband, Kurt Engstrom, introduced me to fishing and hunting while we were dating and both students at the University of Connecticut in the late 1980s. At first, I would just accompany him in the forest and watch wildlife. Gradually, I learned how to fish for bass and trout. Finally, once we moved to Pennsylvania, I began to hunt whitetail deer.
Dr. Mahan with a British Columbia bull trout.
TRCP: Tell us about one of your most memorable outdoor adventures.
Dr. Mahan: I have had so many memorable experiences in nature locally, nationally, and internationally. However, a seemingly small natural event occurs every year on my back porch, and I treasure seeing it. In late March, a pair of Carolina wrens inevitably chooses my laundry apron, the pocket of my hunting coat, or my window box as a place to build their beautiful moss-covered, domed nest. This event is one of the first signs of spring for me and my family, and we watch the wren pair as they lay their four eggs, incubate them, and eventually fledge their babies. This annual event is an on-going sign that, perhaps, humans and wildlife can travel together into the future.
TRCP: If you could hunt or fish anywhere, where would it be and why?
Dr. Mahan: I would like to go on a pack trip on horses into the western backcountry to hunt for elk. I grew up riding horses, so this would combine things that I love. Fishing for Atlantic salmon in the UK or brook trout in Labrador would be amazing as well.
TRCP: How does conservation help enhance your outdoor life?
Dr. Mahan: My entire life is conservation. I am a professor who teaches courses in conservation to undergraduate students at Penn State, and I conduct research on conservation of all types of wildlife (native pollinators, breeding birds, carnivores, small mammals, and rare species) in human-modified landscapes such as oil and gas pipelines. So, every time that I am in the outdoors for work or play, I am thinking about conservation and how to create and restore landscapes where humans and wildlife can coexist.
TRCP: What are the major conservation challenges where you live?
Dr. Mahan: I used to think that habitat loss was the biggest threat to wildlife. Habitat loss is still a critical factor impacting wildlife, but we are learning to manage landscapes so that both humans and wildlife can occupy the landscape. In terms of drastic wildlife losses, the spread of infectious diseases caused, in part, by globalization, climate change, and human activities (e.g, game farming), is the biggest challenge. Infectious diseases and pathogens like Chronic Wasting Disease, White-nosed Syndrome, West Nile Virus, and Avian Malaria has caused sudden and drastic health threats to whitetail Deer, North American bats, ruffed grouse, and songbirds respectively. In addition, non-native species including Japanese knotweed, stilt grass, spotted lanternfly, hemlock woolly adelgid, and emerald ash borer have changed the species composition of Pennsylvania forests over the past few decades.
TRCP: Why is it important to you to be involved in conservation?
Dr. Mahan: Aldo Leopold wrote that “one of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds.” I feel that quote everyday as I see the changes in wildlife populations and forest composition that I previously mentioned, and sadly, many of these negative changes are unnoticed by the general public. People can make a difference, however, through their actions. Actions may include removing non-native species, planting a native tree, growing native forbs, teaching others to cherish nature, being conscientious about what you purchase, and assisting in wildlife management.
Dr. Mahan on a Pennsylvania pheasant hunt.
TRCP: Why should conservation matter to the next generation of hunters and anglers?
Dr. Mahan: In the United States, conservation is funded at the governmental level primarily by taxes on hunting and fishing equipment and hunting/fishing license sales. If you are a hunter or an angler, your money is used for conservation. Newcomers to these past times should learn about ways that their funds are used and assist state officials in explaining the importance of hunters and anglers in their role as conservationists. I also hope that hunters and anglers will focus on more than just the species that they harvest. Conservationists should care about all species of native wildlife because healthy, functioning ecosystems are critical for sustainable hunting and fishing.
Photo credits: Dr. Carolyn Mahan
The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
TRCP has partnered with Afuera Coffee Co. to further our commitment to conservation. $4 from each bag is donated to the TRCP, to help continue our efforts of safeguarding critical habitats, productive hunting grounds, and favorite fishing holes for future generations.
