Matt Peters on Heartwood, NEPA, Categorical Exclusions, and the Paper Monkeywrench

This interview took place on July 9, 2025. Matt Peters is the current coordinator for Heartwood and a longtime forest protection activist. He founded the Allegheny Defense Project, worked with the Buckeye Forest Council, and now works with local groups in his hometown of Pittsburgh while he continues to work with Heartwood to protect our National Forests.In this conversation, Matt talks about how Heartwood taught him to effectively challenge timber sales on our National Forests by simply reading the law and getting involved with the public process. He also talks about how our current government is intentionally excluding the public through the use of categorical exclusions, and changes to the National Environmental Policy Act.Intro music: "Diamond in the Sun" by Robert Hoyt, 1995. Dumpster Diving Across America.Outro music: "You Can't Go Away" by Andy Mahler, 2025. Andy Mahler & Buffalo Strings.Listen to Andy's own original music played with Buffalo Strings at Andy Mahler, Buffalo Strings.Want to donate to Heartwood? Donate here.