Quick Facts
Biography
The American Conservation Coalition (ACC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental advocacy organization focusing on limited-government, conservative approaches to environmental issues. The group was founded in Appleton, Wisconsin, in 2017.
History
ACC was founded by Benji Backer in 2017 with the goal to add conservative voices to environmental conversations. However, since its founding, ACC has evolved to advocate for legislation at the federal level and educate students on environmental issues. In 2023, it was announced that Backer would step down as president of the organization, transitioning into a chairmanship role. Danielle Butcher Franz was announced as successor, assuming the role of CEO. Other key figures include Chris Barnard as president and Stephen Perkins as COO.
Issue advocacy
ACC advocates for land and wildlife conservation, developments in clean energy and emission-reducing technology like carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), and other free-market environmental policies. ACC supports the development and deployment of nuclear energy, renewable energy, biomass, geothermal energy, hydroelectric power; the ACC also supports the use of natural gas as a relatively low-carbon fuel during a transition phase away from higher carbon sources.
In 2022, ACC released The Climate Commitment. The policy framework advocates for climate change-related policies with bipartisan support, existing climate and environmental legislation in Congress, and free market principles.
