Recorded live at the Wildlands Festival in Big Sky, Montana on July 31, 2026 — six weeks before Cam Sholly announced he was stepping down as superintendent of Yellowstone National Park after nearly eight years.
Outlaw Beat host Joe Borden sits down with Sholly, PERC CEO Brian Yablonski, and Outlaw Partners founder Eric Ladd to talk about an eight-year partnership between the world’s first national park and a Bozeman conservation think tank: the new international visitor fee, Yellowstone’s $1.5 billion maintenance backlog, employee housing, the 2022 flood and the odd/even license plate plan, and PERC’s work with ranchers on elk occupancy agreements, payment-for-presence programs, and virtual fencing.
Plus a live game with the audience about the worst decisions ever made in Yellowstone, and a disagreement about whether the Zone of Death is real.
PERC was the 2026 conservation partner for Wildlands, which has raised more than $3 million for conservation nonprofits.
Tags: Cam Sholly, Yellowstone National Park, Brian Yablonski, PERC, Property and Environment Research Center, Eric Ladd, Outlaw Partners, Wildlands Festival, Big Sky Montana, national park fees, Yellowstone flood 2022, virtual fencing, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Outlaw BeatWILDLANDS PANEL 2026 INTROS
Wildlands returns this summer August 5th and 6th. Sign up for early ticket alerts at WildlandsMusic.com.
