# Paul Hendricks – The Conservation Alliance and the Future of Public Lands

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/mountain-prairie-with-ed-roberson-323217/paul-hendricks-the-conservation-alliance-and-the-future-of-public-lands
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/mountain-prairie-with-ed-roberson-323217/paul-hendricks-the-conservation-alliance-and-the-future-of-public-lands.md
Podcast: [Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson](https://stenobird.com/podcast/mountain-prairie-with-ed-roberson-323217)
Published: 2025-09-23T21:17:00+00:00
Episode link: https://mountainandprairie.libsyn.com/paul-hendricks-the-conservation-alliance-and-the-future-of-public-lands
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/mountainandprairie/Paul-Hendricks.mp3?dest-id=1600085
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/mountain-prairie-with-ed-roberson-323217/episodes/paul-hendricks-the-conservation-alliance-and-the-future-of-public-lands
Duration seconds: 4110

## Resource

Paul Hendricks is the Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance, a coalition of more than 270 businesses working together to protect wild places across North America. Founded nearly four decades ago by Patagonia, REI, The North Face, and Kelty, The Conservation Alliance has grown into one of the most important forces in conservation—pooling dollars, influence, and a collective business voice to support grassroots campaigns that keep public lands and waters healthy for generations to come. At a time when those places are under constant pressure, The Conservation Alliance is showing that businesses don't have to sit on the sidelines—they can be a powerful part of the solution. Paul's own path to this role winds through some of the most interesting corners of the conservation and environmental worlds. After earning a few advanced degrees, he started at Global Greengrants Fund, working with grassroots activists around the globe. He then joined Patagonia's legendary environmental team, where he learned firsthand how a company can weave values into every decision. From there he helped build sustainability programs at Rivian, tackling the climate footprint of a car company from the inside. And woven through all of that is a through-line of humility, service, and adventure. In this conversation, Paul and I talk about the roots of his love for the outdoors, the mentors and lessons that shaped his career, and what it's like to step into the hot seat as a first-time executive director. We dig into The Conservation Alliance's mission and why business advocacy matters, the current threats facing public lands, and how Paul stays grounded in turbulent times. We also talk about family, leadership, failure, and why hope is not just possible but necessary. It's a candid, thoughtfu…

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