#79 - Smokejumper to Montana Congressman? w/ Sam Forstag

In this episode, I interview Sam Forstag, a former Missoula-based Forest Service smokejumper and union local vice president now running for Congress in Montana’s 1st District, motivated by DOGE-related cuts that fired many of his co-workers and by frustration with Rep. Ryan Zinke’s lack of response. Forstag shares his upbringing, education at the University of Montana, and eight years in firefighting, arguing that gutting agencies leads to privatization, higher costs, and weaker public-land stewardship. Our conversation covers money in politics, Citizens United, tax-code inequities, and healthcare. We debate and discuss public lands issues around wildfire strategy, WUI priorities, fuels work, NEPA timelines and staffing, logging versus local milling capacity, roadless-rule repeal, and the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act.“Fuel Reduction” Logging Exacerbates Wildfire Effects and Puts Communities at Greater RiskRising wildfire risk to houses in the United States, especially in grasslands and shrublandsHome hardening and defensible space can halve wildfire damage, study findsA More Effective Approach for Preventing Wildland-Urban Fire Disasters Jack Cohen, PhD; Research Physical Scientist; US Forest Service, retiredNorthern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act03:55 DOGE Cuts Spark Campaign06:57 Unionizing The Forest Service09:49 Organizing Spreads To NPS13:56 Money In Politics17:19 Healthcare Medicare Choice22:22 Why Run For Congress26:31 Life As A Smokejumper28:31 Letting Fire Burn31:42 WUI Home Hardening Debate33:09 Fuels Work And Logging Nuance36:26 Fuels Treatments38:03 Home Hardening41:33 WUI Definition44:48 NEPA Timelines and Courts53:18 Local Timber Milling01:01:00 Restoration Jobs With NREPA01:04:24 Roadless Rule Under Threat Get full access to Our Public Lands Podcast at ourpubliclandspodcast.substack.com/subscribe