Episode 58 | Benny Braden on Public Lands Stewardship
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Summary
Benny Braden is a public lands advocate and accomplished long-distance hiker. In this episode, Andrew and Ryan chat with him about public lands stewardship, social media, National Park funding, and more. Also in this episode – what’s up with bagging dog poop but leaving it on the side of the trail?
Outline
- 00:00:28 – spring in the Rockies
- 00:03:30 – low snowfall in the Sierra this year
- 00:04:04 – climate change and snowpack in the Sierra and Rockies
- 00:06:14 – bagging your dog poop but leaving it on the side of the trail
- 00:09:46 – Benny Braden interview begins
- 00:14:00 – Max Patch destruction
- 00:17:38 – social media as a tool – negative vs. positive effect on public lands
- 00:22:05 – what can public lands give us vs. how we can give back to public lands
- 00:23:32 – drone footage from Max Patch
- 00:26:00 – rehabbing Max Patch
- 00:28:02 – the interface between private charity and federal agencies
- 00:31:59 – practical advice for working with federal agencies
- 00:37:00 – Save our Smokies
- 00:43:08 – why trash is so bad in the smokies
- 00:47:00 – our parks need better funding
- 00:50:19 – Responsible Stewardship
- 00:57:36 – local non-profits vs. national organization – what is Responsible Stewardship adding to the leave no trace landscape?
- 01:00:48 – internet, social media, and tagging lightly
- 01:05:34 – a brief conversation on gatekeeping
- 01:12:31 – a responsible stewardship reminder
- 01:14:19 – community kudzu
- 01:15:49 – end of Benny Braden interview
- 01:17:14 – minimizing personal impact
- 01:25: 22 – what’s new at BPL
Resources
- piece at Outside about Sierra snowpack
- Save Our Smokies
- Responsible Stewardship
- Highline Film that Benny appears in
- Benny’s Instagram account
- the Route Planning Tools and Processes Member Q&A
Max Patch
Drone footage from September 19, 2020:
Still photos:


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