# Do We Need Them? | Fresh Tracks Weekly (Ep. 109)

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/fresh-tracks-weekly-5367090/do-we-need-them-fresh-tracks-weekly-ep-109.md
Podcast: [Fresh Tracks Weekly](https://stenobird.com/podcast/fresh-tracks-weekly-5367090)
Published: 2026-01-09T23:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/ONYO2645287342.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/ONYO2645287342.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/fresh-tracks-weekly-5367090/episodes/do-we-need-them-fresh-tracks-weekly-ep-109
Duration seconds: 1592

## Resource

In this episode of Fresh Tracks Weekly, we discuss a renewed threat to Wyoming’s famous mule deer migration. New oil and gas leases on BLM land are near critical winter ranges and migration corridors for the Sublette mule deer and pronghorn herds. We discuss how the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan is being bypassed and why "energy independence" is no longer a valid excuse for poor conservation. We also cover several headlines from the week, including 2026 federal budget cuts, the reopening of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, and the controversial "flooded corn" baiting debate in waterfowl hunting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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## Transcript

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