Conservative action on the environment has come a long way in recent years. One might have a hard time imagining that more Republicans voted for a piece of critical climate legislation such as the Growing Climate Solutions Act than Democrats or that Republicans launched a 60-member caucus in the House dedicated to promoting conservative leadership on the environment. But this is now our reality, and it is thanks to the hard work of young activists who built a powerful movement.

When we founded the American Conservation Coalition four years ago, our group was covered by reporters as a “man bites dog” sort of story. Few believed that conservatives really did care about the environment, much less that they believed in climate change and wanted solutions. Today, we can see clearly that these sentiments are true. From the Republican-led effort to pass the Great American Outdoors Act in the Senate last year to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s climate platform, Republicans have stepped up to the plate in a big way.