Fired from the Forest Service by DOGE, Public Lands Advocacy, and Finding Joy in a World of Bad News with Liz Crandall (BPR #358)

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Liz Crandall, a former US Forest Service field ranger who was fired by DOGE last February and has since transitioned into advocacy, activism, and podcasting, serving as the host of Rangers of the Lost Park.

In this one, Liz walks us through nine years of climbing the federal government's career ladder, from GS3 volunteer to permanent employee, and what it actually felt like to receive the phone call telling her it was over. She breaks down the DOGE firing process, the spam-looking emails that nobody believed were real, the Fork in the Road offer that most people didn't take, and what it looked like inside a Forest Service office where even the people who voted for the administration were crying. She also shares what it took to go from a person who was trained never to talk to the press to someone doing live CNN, the roadless rule and why she thinks rescinding it is a bad idea, her crown jewel podcast guest Ken Burns, and two pants-shitting stories from her hitchhiking days that she's been dreading telling us since she booked this.

We wrap the show with hikers who discovered human remains in Vermont, the celebrity names we can never remember, how I butchered the boy who cried wolf, the triple crown of the worst gifts to give your kids, and an ALL TIME listener email and poop story.

Topo Athletic: Use code "TREK15TOPO" at topoathletic.com.

Gossamer Gear: Use code "BACKPACKERRADIO" for $20 off LT5 Trekking Poles at gossamergear.com.

OnX Backcountry: Through Memorial Day, use code "TREK70" for 70% off at onxmaps.com

[divider]

Interview with Liz Crandall

• Rangers of the Lost Park Podcast
• Rangers of the Lost Park Instagram
• Liz's Instagram

Time stamps & Questions

00:05:34 - Processing

00:10:30 - Reminders: Join us for Chaunce's live podcast sendoff, subscribe to The Trek's Youtube, check out our new merch, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon!

00:17:25 - Introducing Liz

00:18:10 - What's the story behind your ranger raccoon tattoo?

00:24:47 - Tell us about working in wildlife rehab between Forest Service seasons

00:30:23 - How did you go from wildlife rehab to becoming a field ranger?

00:33:00 - What do the GS pay grades mean and how does the Forest Service career ladder work?

00:36:39 - What were your biggest accomplishments climbing from GS-3 to GS-6?

00:41:13 - When did things start going wrong under the new administration?

00:43:01 - What were the Fork in the Road emails from DOGE actually saying?

00:47:15 - What happened when the February 14th firing emails went out?

00:52:06 - Is there any optimism that fired feds could get their jobs back?

00:53:32 - How fast did you go from being fired to becoming an advocate?

00:57:41 - What was it like representing all fired feds in the press?

01:00:15 - Discussion about the State of the Union and lobbying in DC

01:02:18 - What do you disagree with about the Forest Service and BLM?

01:09:25 - How did Rangers of the Lost Park get started?

01:10:31 - How did you land Ken Burns as a guest?

01:15:26 - What were the biggest takeaways from your Ken Burns interview?

01:17:46 - What are some of the top remaining battles for public lands?

01:20:48 - How do you respond to people who aren't affected by these issues?

01:26:45 - Where do you get your validation when the wins are invisible?

01:28:45 - Triple Crown of Liz's best podcast guests

01:31:20 - How do you find joy in a world of bad news?

01:34:07 - Pants-shitting stories from Liz's hitchhiking days

01:43:17 - What's your most underrated piece of backpacking gear?

01:45:45 - Tell us about your mountain lion and grizzly bear encounters

01:56:40 - Peak Performance Question: What is your top performance-enhancing or backpacking hack?

Segments

Trek Propaganda: Hikers Discover Human Remains Near Vermont Appalachian Trail by Kelly Floro

QOTD: What celebrity names can you never remember?

Parenting Thing of the Week

Triple Crown of the worst gifts to give young kids

Mail Bag

5 Star Review

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