Impacts of Federal Neglect of Public Lands with Elizabeth Stewart-Severy & Scott Fitzwilliams

Описание: In 2025, Scott Fitzwilliams retired from leading the 2.3 million acre White River National Forest — the most visited in the country — for 15 years. Now, he speaks with local journalist Elizabeth Stewart-Severy, whose reporting for Aspen Journalism has helped to uncover how changes at the White River National Forest will impact the public lands that surround our communities.
They will discuss the threats to America’s public lands, why it matters and what the public can do as the federal government has cut or eliminated thousands of U.S. Forest Service staff positions, reduced budgets for road and trail maintenance, promised to gut the National Environmental Policy Act, and indicated a major reorganization of the agency.

About the Speakers
Scott was the Forest Supervisor for the White River National Forest for 15 years and worked for the U.S. Forest Service for a total of 35 years. Among many other projects and accomplishments, he built partnerships with local governments and nonprofits to leverage local support for federal lands and help promote stewardship of the forest as recreation numbers skyrocketed in the past decade. Scott retired in 2025 as part of the Trump administration’s Deferred Resignation Program, and has since been a powerful voice in support of public lands, which he says are part of the strength of the nation and a uniquely American ideal.

Elizabeth is a freelance journalist based in Snowmass Village who has been reporting for Aspen Journalism on how federal funding cuts, loss of personnel and changing directives at the U.S. Forest Service have and will impact the White River National Forest and the communities that rely on the forest. She has worked as an editor at Aspen Journalism, a reporter at Aspen Public Radio and an English and journalism teacher at Aspen High School. She grew up in Aspen and is passionate about public lands.