Episode 3: Indigenous Leadership in Public Lands Stewardship

Release date: March 25, 2026 

We often talk about public lands as playgrounds. But for many tribal nations, these places are homelands. Outdoor recreation is growing. Trailheads are full. Alpine lakes see record visitation. Social media drives more people to once-quiet places. And while that growth is a testament to how much people love wild places, it can come with real consequences.

For tribal nations across Washington State, increased recreation on public lands directly impacts ancestral lands, treaty-protected rights, and the wildlife and ecosystems tribes have stewarded for generations.

In Episode 3 of Trail Break Radio Season 2, we sit with that tension and ask an important question: As recreation expands, how do we move forward responsibly?

This conversation brings together leaders working at the intersection of tribal sovereignty, wildlife management, and outdoor culture:

• Libby Nelson, Senior Environmental Policy Analyst, Tulalip Tribes
• Sarah Ballew, Governmental Affairs Program Manager, Snoqualmie Tribe
• Ezekiel Rohloff, Wildlife Program Manager, Snoqualmie Tribe
• Joel Sisolak, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
• Betsy Robblee, The Mountaineers

Together, they explore two Washington case studies and issue a clear call for a mindset shift in how recreationists relate to public land.

Both the Tulalip Tribes and the Snoqualmie Tribe are leading efforts to raise awareness about recreation impacts on cultural and ecological resources. Washington State agencies are working alongside tribes to co-develop recreation management tools and a cooperative stewardship framework for natural and cultural resources on state lands.

What does that look like in practice?

Less “public lands as playground.” More relationship, reciprocity, and shared responsibility.

This episode challenges us to think beyond access and toward accountability and to recognize that recreation does not happen on empty landscapes, but on lands with deep history, ongoing stewardship, and living cultural meaning.