The MeatEater Podcast Ep. 769: Can Conservation Be Non-Partisan?
Sep 29, 2025
Benji Backer, founder of Nature Is Nonpartisan, shares his insights on uniting diverse political views for conservation. Along with Ryan Callaghan and Randall Williams, they discuss how nature can transcend party lines. The trio tackles topics like the Florida bear hunt controversy and how to creatively persuade fiscal conservatives to support conservation. They highlight the importance of building coalitions that include farmers and hunters, and Benji emphasizes focusing on impactful conservation outcomes over political credit.
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Conservation Was Once Bipartisan
- Benji Backer argues conservation used to be bipartisan and the biggest environmental achievements were nonpartisan.
- He founded Nature Is Nonpartisan to rebuild that cross-ideological consensus for conservation.
Quotas Can Ignite Social Backlash
- Steve explains why quota hunts can create social backlash even if biologically sound, citing Florida's 2015 bear hunt.
- Public reaction can derail management despite minimal biological impact.
Design Hunts To Manage Participation
- When agencies design hunts, consider ticketed lotteries to limit participants and better control take.
- Use education or licensing requirements to filter entrants and protect management goals.
