Fresh Tracks Weekly

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Author: Marcus Hockett and the Fresh Tracks Crew

The Fresh Tracks crew, led by Marcus Hockett, keeps you in the know about what's happening in conservation. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Don't miss this weekly podcast covering the everything you need to know.
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From Prairie Potholes to AI Data Centers: This Week’s Outdoor News | Fresh Tracks Weekly Ep. 137
Tuesday, 18 August, 2026

On this week's episode of Fresh Tracks Weekly, we break down massive public land wins, controversial federal approvals, and real-world bowhunting gear data, followed by an in-depth conversation on science storytelling in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and a highlight of the Bison Jam Podcast. You can listen to the Bison Jam Podcast here - https://www.bisonjam.com/ In the News • USFWS Drain Tile Victory: A massive win for waterfowl hunters in the Prairie Pothole Region—over 200,000 public comments pushed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to keep critical wetland drain tile setbacks intact. • Links • https://fieldandstream.com/stories/feds-backtrack-on-prairie-potholes-rule-change • AI Data Center on BLM Land: The Bureau of Land Management quietly swaps a clean solar project for an 86-acre AI data center in Boulder City, Nevada. Bypassing NEPA environmental reviews and public comment, this project threatens to pull 167 megawatts of power and up to 600,000 gallons of water annually from record-low Lake Mead. • Links • https://fieldandstream.com/stories/conservation/public-lands-and-waters/data-center-approved-forpublic-land-in-nevada • https://www.blm.gov/announcement/approved-decision-townsite-data-center • Boundary Waters Mining Block: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signs an executive order halting nonferrous mineral mining permits in the Rainy River Headwaters Watershed, shifting the battle over the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Watershed directly to the upcoming election. • Links • https://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/764186 • https://www.eenews.net/articles/walz-throws-up-new-roadblock-to-mining-near-boundary-waters/ •https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MNGOV/2026/08/18/file_attachments/3749654/bwca-eo-onepager-FINAL.pdf Bowhunting Metrics with the TRAKR App: Analyzing data from 2,500+ tracking missions to reveal real-world setup effectiveness—including why pass-through shots nearly double recovery rates (48% vs. 26%) and how top broadheads like QAD and SEVR stack up. • https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/data-recovering-wounded-deer/ • https://open.spotify.com/episode/1j4VuK9mjCXeWkJtKw1Bqp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices