Natural Causes

James is joined by Molly to discuss how the Bureau of Land Management is quietly changing its approach to public land management and what it means for approximately 900 bison in Central Montana. (originally run on It Could Happen Here in May 2026) Sources: https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/810541893_202412_990_2025073023621659.pdf https://gov.mt.gov/_docs/governor/AmericanPrairieProposedDecisionJanuary162026.pdf https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-17537.pdf https://www.mtpr.org/montana-news/2026-01-21/blm-cancels-bison-grazing-permits-for-montana-nature-reserve https://news.mt.gov/Governors-Office/Governor_Gianforte_Appeals_Judges_APR_Bison_Grazing_Decision#:~:text=Following%20the%20judge's%20order%2C%20DNRC,appeal%20may%20be%20found%20here . https://t.co/HUAyMUnOVi https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2015/06/18/business-leaders-provide-green-behind-conservation-effort/28960843/ https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-revokes-american-prairie-bison-grazing-permit https://www.citizen.org/wp-content/uploads/estatetaxfinal.pdf https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/12/2026-09386/rescission-of-conservation-and-landscape-health-rule https://www.blm.gov/about/laws-and-regulations/conservation-and-landscape-health-rule https://largetribes.org/2026/02/affirmative-action-for-cattle-tribes-challenge-feds-plan-to-revoke-bison-grazing-leases-on-public-land-media-share/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James follows up on last week's episode and talked to Miles Gray about what it is like to lose your home in a fire and how people can continue to help fire survivors. Sources: https://lacounty.gov/2026/08/04/county-of-los-angeles-fire-department-releases-the-investigative-reports-on-the-cause-of-the-eaton-fire/ https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-03-19/sce-decomissioned-power-line-eaton-fire-risk https://apnews.com/general-news-ffcad08a8ef14fa88df8bacdd9e73883 https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/newsom-wildfire-utility-liability-package/ https://x.com/WildfireVics1st/status/2078175502523585021 https://clickstrategies.us/ Donation Links: Spokane Immigrants Rights Coalition: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/sirc-community-fund Spectrum running the Rainbow Relief Fund: https://spectrumcenterspokane.app.neoncrm.com/forms/donate Colville Fund: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/cedar-fund-wildfire-recovery-campaign See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Weeks after more than 600 houses in Spokane burned, James talks to community members about how people prepared, cared for each other, and worried about migration enforcement during the fire evacuations. Sources: Aldo Leopold- A Sand County Almanac https://www.instagram.com/p/DcBqjR6RdzJ/ Donation Links: Spokane Immigrants Rights Coalition: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/sirc-community-fund Spectrum running the Rainbow Relief Fund: https://spectrumcenterspokane.app.neoncrm.com/forms/donate Colville Fund: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/cedar-fund-wildfire-recovery-campaign See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James looks into the recent Cyclospora outbreak and what it can tell us about solidarity, food safety, and where our food comes from. Sources: https://newsroom.haas.berkeley.edu/magazine/spring-2026/taylor-farms/ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/nov/23/billion-dollar-california-salad-company-exploits-undocumented-migrants-say-workers-and-teamsters https://gizmodo.com/elon-musk-economist-interview-2000790016 https://www.thefp.com/p/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-lettuce-media?utm_source=publication-search https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-report-e-coli-outbreak-onions-taylor-farms/ https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/imo/media/doc/2026-07-27garciatotaylorfarmsrecyclosporacontaminatedlettuce.pdf https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Bruce+Taylor&contributor_employer=Taylor+Farms+ https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/07/2025-14967/requirements-for-additional-traceability-records-for-certain-foods-compliance-date-extension https://bsky.app/profile/ufw.bsky.social/post/3msj3j7ordt2w See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James talks with Molly Conger about the javelina and their installable appetite for golf courses. Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65x0RvhJNa8 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2007/nov/05/conservation.sciencenews https://zoologicalbulletin.de/BzB_Volumes/Volume_56_1_2/049_054_BzB56_1_2_Moraves_Jiri_and_B%C3%B6hme_Wolfgang.pdf https://www.azgfd.com/wildlife-conservation/living-with-wildlife/living-with-javelina/ https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/8e8abbf4-6775-4575-9a10-fedacb7cb2c1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Natural Causes is a podcast about the politics and practicalities of going outside in a world on fire, hosted by Dr James Stout. It approaches the outdoors, conservation, agriculture, food sovereignty, fire management and Indigenous land rights as interconnected issues. We want to combine unflinching journalism with unabashed advocacy for the land we all share, and welcome everyone into the outdoors and the fight for our public lands. Our shared wild spaces are under threat like never before, The Trump administration is stripping protections, extractive capitalism and data centers are pillaging out common resources, and climate change is accelerating every day. Now, more than ever, we need serious journalism and serious solidarity that engages people with the struggle to protect these spaces for generations to come. New episodes every week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.