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Working Wild UAuthor: Western Landowners Alliance and Montana State University Extension
Working Wild U takes you out into the field, forest and range with the people and wildlife of the American West to tell you the big stories at the heart of the struggle to sustain resilient and connected landscapes and communities. We share immersive stories at the crossroads of culture and science focused on the challenges and successes of sharing and managing farms and ranches with wildlife. If you are passionate about open spaces, wild places and healthy communities that sustain people and wildlife, listen in. Language: en Genres: Natural Sciences, Science, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Ranching with Grizzlies in Wyoming's Upper Green
Episode 3
Tuesday, 11 August, 2026
What if keeping cattle on public lands is also helping keep critical wildlife habitat intact? In Wyoming's Upper Green, ranchers move cattle along the historic Green River Drift through one of the epicenters of livestock-grizzly conflict in the Northern Rockies. Public grazing helps sustain private ranchlands—including critical river bottoms and winter range that keep this landscape connected for wildlife. As grizzlies recover, the challenge of keeping ranches viable while maintaining habitat for wildlife is growing. We ride with a range rider and hear from ranchers and wildlife managers about what it takes to keep working lands, rural livelihoods, and grizzlies on the same landscape. Show notes — Topics discussed: Green River Drift, Upper Green River Cattle Association, public lands grazing, private ranchlands and wildlife habitat, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, grizzly bear recovery and livestock conflict, calf depredation and livestock losses, range riding, wildlife migration corridors, ranch economics and land development, compensation for livestock losses, conflict reduction tools, grizzly bear management, the Four Cs of conflict reduction Featuring: Brittany Hesseltine (foreman and range rider for the Upper Green River Cattle Association), Albert Sommers (fourth-generation Upper Green rancher, former president of the Upper Green River Cattle Association, Wyoming legislator and former Speaker of the Wyoming House), Coke Landers (president of the Upper Green River Cattle Association and rancher), Dan Thompson (large carnivore supervisor with Wyoming Game and Fish), Matt Collins (Working Wild Challenge Manager, Western Landowners Alliance) — Cover image by Matt Collins Working Wild University is a production of Western Landowners Alliance and Dr. Jared Beaver of Montana State University Extension, and a proud part of Natural Resources University podcast network. Hosted by Hallie Mahowald and Jared Beaver; Produced by Matt Collins and Zach Altman; Editing by Kathleen Shannon and Zach Altman; Executive producers: Louis Wertz, Jared Beaver, Hallie Mahowald and Erik Kalsta.
