Today we’d like to introduce you to Reed Olsen.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I joined ACC in December 2024 – right after Trump was elected. I decided then that I needed to find a spot in the conservative movement that both remained rooted in principles but also explicitly spoke on behalf of the great outdoors and the world around us. The American Conservation Coalition was that spot. I shortly thereafter joined the leadership team, and as of this summer have been serving as the chairman of the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter. My time in leadership has been incredibly fulfilling so far, and I look forward to helping build this group in the years to come.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been completely easy. We’re obviously a niche group – a group of explicitly conservative, environmentally oriented young professionals. Just getting the ball rolling on terms of turnout has been hit or miss (after all, most people work full time jobs, so you have to really make what you do a draw), but it’s been an interesting learning process finding what people get excited for in that regard. Luckily, the national branch of ACC has been nothing but supportive as we continue to build the foundation of our mission. We’re planning on having more consistent events in both Dallas and Fort Worth going forward (as opposed to alternating between the two), so I’m excited to see what the future holds as more people decide to join us!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As I mentioned before, the American Conservation Coalition is trying to fulfill a really interesting niche in the world – people who fall on the right side of the aisle but might feel that the principles of conservation might be seen as unappreciated around those parts. For what it’s worth, I think that this sentiment is growing with conservatives, especially with the younger generation. People realize that the spaces and communities we live in are worth protecting for the sake of future generations.
ACC nationally is known for pushing for common sense solutions to the climate and other environmental issues. One huge thing we push for is nuclear energy as the backbone of the American energy economy going forward, and we support any sort of market innovation that helps making energy cleaner, cheaper, and more suitable for average Americans. At the local level, while we engage in all manner of community-driven activities, such as cleanups and tree plantings, we’ve also undertaken policy discussions surrounding water usage and infrastructure in Texas, which included a lot of dialogue on the recently passed Proposition 4. Another cornerstone of our local work we’ve recently promoted is the sustaining of the endangered Blackland Prairie in North Texas. We’ve actually adopted a parcel of prairie at Flag Pole Hill north of White Rock Lake that we will be making a regular site to host ongoing projects on.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Come out to our events! We host at least one event a month around the Metroplex, and that’s only going to be increasing in frequency as we enter the new year. If you want to collaborate on a project, please reach out to us at dallas@acc.eco. Otherwise, it never hurts to follow us at @acc_dfw on all platforms. There’s plenty of further info on how to find us or get more detailed updates from there!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://acc.eco/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acc_dfw/
- Twitter: https://x.com/ACC_DFW
- Other: https://linktr.ee/accdfw
