As SUWA’s new executive director, it’s an honor to introduce myself to the incredible and dedicated network of members and supporters across the nation. I started my career in wilderness advocacy at SUWA in 2007; returning to the organization to succeed the long and impressive tenure of Scott Groene is both humbling and a tremendously exciting opportunity.

Writing my first Wilderness Notes prompts me to reflect on the importance of this newsletter as a tool to educate and inspire. Twenty-five years ago, I found my first copy lying around the boathouse of the Colorado Outward Bound School river base near Dinosaur National Monument in northeastern Utah. I was starting what I thought would be a summer job packing food and transporting gear in support of river-based outdoor education courses. I ended up staying on for five years and learning to be an outdoor educator and guide in river canyons across Utah.

Witnessing the power of wilderness to inspire our students focused my professional interest on public lands. SUWA’s newsletter helped educate me on the very real threats to incredible places and the formidable movement of passionate people defending them. At the same time, I saw with my own eyes how each new oil well drilled or new off-road vehicle track slowly but surely diminished these wild places.

My return to SUWA comes at a deeply challenging time for wilderness and public lands. The State of Utah’s lawsuit (cheered on by Governor Spencer Cox), which sought the sell-off of nearly 20 million acres of public land, was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court, but the state will certainly try again. In Congress, Utah’s federal delegation is leading the charge to make sure public lands liquidation is included in the 2025 Budget Bill (“the big beautiful bill”) already laden with anti-conservation measures. These efforts have a friend in Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who sees public lands only as assets on the national “balance sheet,” waiting to be leveraged in service of the Trump administration’s fossil-fueled dreams.

But I am proud to say that SUWA stands firmly in their way. Unified with the broader conservation community as well as hunters, anglers, and recreationists of all stripes, we say collectively, “Not on our watch!” During my first month at the helm of SUWA, I watched our staff swing into action and mobilize our nationwide network of friends and allies to fight this sell-off of our public lands. Together, we made sure it became a political liability and we were heartened to see it stripped from the House version of the Budget Bill. As you’ll learn about in our feature story, opposite, the fight has now moved to the Senate.

It can feel like the special interests, ideological extremists, and extractive industries that seek to despoil our public lands for the benefit of a few are in full control and making gains. Of course, there will be many difficult fights ahead, and some disappointing losses. I’m happy to report, however, that SUWA is stronger and more sophisticated than it’s ever been. We are leaders in the conservation community and we’re making a difference in Utah and far beyond.

SUWA has always taken the long view in our work to protect millions of acres of land, and I am confident that the Protect Wild Utah movement—which enjoys broad support and is grounded in love and awe—will be successful. Thank you for being part of it.

For the Redrock,

Scott Braden
Executive Director
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

The above letter first appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of our Redrock Wilderness newsletter. Become a member to receive our print newsletter in your mailbox 3 times a year.