Depending on where you live, if you’ve ever driven a snowy mountain road or parked your car after a winter storm, you’ve probably seen that familiar crust of salt left behind. It’s easy to think of road salt as just another part of winter, and a simple fix for icy conditions.

But that same salt, once it washes off our roads, has a far-reaching impact on the water we drink and the lakes or streams that we love.

Across the Northeast and beyond, road salt has become a threat to freshwater ecosystems. It seeps into wells and disrupts aquatic life. In New York State, scientists are warning that the overuse of salt could be creating “thousands of mini-Flints,” a public health crisis unfolding one winter at a time.

Today, we’re joined by Dr. Brendan Wiltse, Executive Director of the Lake George Association, the nation’s first lake conservation organization, founded in 1885. The LGA has been leading efforts to protect Lake George, known as the “Queen of American Lakes,” through science and community collaboration.

Dr. Wiltse’s decades of research in aquatic ecology and his leadership at the LGA shed light on how salt pollution, climate change, and infrastructure are interconnected, and what we can all do to protect our clean water.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist

Buy Me a Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/outdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠

Listener Survey: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/jd8UCN2LL3AQst976⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

------------------

Lake George Association

Website: https://lakegeorgeassociation.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lakegeorgeassociation/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LakeGeorgeAssociation

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LakeGeorgeAssoc

After a week off from our public lands news round-up, we are back with more updates as attacks on public lands continue despite the government shutdown.

The government shutdown has many impacts on our public lands, ranging from our National Parks and Forest Service to the Bureau of Land Management. While we spend a lot of time talking about our parks, BLM lands don’t often get as much attention.

In this episode, we focus on how BLM lands are changing in the short- and long-term amid the ongoing government shutdown.

Featured Guests:

- Jocelyn Torres, Chief Conservation Officer, Conservation Lands Foundation

- Melanie Stansbury, U.S. representative for New Mexico's 1st congressional district
- Todd Tucci, Senior Attorney, Advocates For The West
- David Feinman, VP of Government Affairs, Conservation Lands Foundation
- Tim Davis, Executive Director, Friends of the Owyhee

The Center for Western Priorities Oil & Gas Tracker: https://westernpriorities.org/2025/10/oil-gas-government-shutdown-tracker/

Subscribe to our newsletter for in-depth coverage and extra stories we don’t have time for on the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theoutdoorminimalist.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have tips, testimonials, or insights on public land changes? Submit them through our Google Form (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/JwC73G8wLvU6kedc9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠).

Support Our Work at Buy Me a Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/outdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠