[S4E9] State of the Grasslands 2025

In our final episode of Season 4, The Best Biome team discusses the state of grasslands conservation in the current year (and what an eventful year it has been). We discuss the most significant threats and daunting challenges that we'll need to meet head on to protect our underappreciated and overlooked ecosystems. Topics include rollbacks to the Endangered Species Act, attacks on research funding, extraction on public lands, the truth behind grazing leases, and much, much more.

Of course, we have plenty of good news to share as well! Join us as we bid 2025 farewell and get ready for whatever next year will bring.

Note: There is some occasional strong language used in this episode, as a result of our passion about these topics.

Primary Sources:

Rachel's Sources:

Jack Hatzimemos, Georgetown Environmental Law Review, "The Single Most Impactful Day of Deregulation in EPA History", Mar. 20, 2025

More Than Just Parks: "Mike Lee is Still Trying to Steal Your Land", Nov. 5, 2025

Inflation Reduction Act Rollback Tracker

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Columbia Law Climate Backtracker

Bill McKibben: The Crucial Years, "A Different Kind of Leader Gives A Different Kind of Speech", Oct. 1, 2025

Heather Cox Richardson, "Letters from an American" Oct. 16, 2025