Cameron Hanes - Keep Hammering Collective KHC 160 - Benji Backer
Nov 28, 2025
Benji Backer, founder of the American Conservation Coalition, dives deep into the intersection of politics and environment. He shares his experiences with political toxicity, including receiving death threats while advocating for bipartisan support of public lands. Backer emphasizes the importance of reconnecting people to nature for mental health and community well-being. He champions a new conservation corps and the idea that nature transcends political divides, urging a pragmatic approach to conservation that prioritizes actions over labels.
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Roots Of A Conservation Advocate
- Benji Backer first fell in love with public lands through childhood fishing and camping in Wisconsin.
- He combined that passion with early political activism to build a conservation-focused movement.
Early Death Threats Shaped His Path
- As a teenager Benji received death threats after early conservative media attention and nearly had to move his family.
- That experience taught him how toxic politics can become and shaped his later focus on less divisive issues.
Division Is Blocking Progress
- Benji argues political vitriol has made solving problems harder and slowed national progress.
- He believes depolarizing around shared priorities like conservation can restore productive governance.
