The Colorado chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) appointed Ben Monarch to serve as Regional Director for the Arkansas River Valley Group.
Ben was born and raised in Kentucky. He started hunting squirrels with an air rifle when he was 6, bird hunting by 8, and whitetail hunting by 9. “My older brother and father taught me to hunt,” he said. “Now I hunt in Colorado (big and small game), Alaska (big game), and Kentucky (whitetail on my family’s farm). I also fish in these locations and anywhere else in the West.”
“I joined BHA in December of 2018 at a Pint Night in Boulder. I learned about BHA when it was spearheading efforts to defend public lands,” Ben added. “I love the mission of the organization and see it as an effective advocacy group for meaningful conservation. I am energized to participate because I want to help preserve the lands and wildlife that are dear to me so that my children can enjoy them as I have.”
Ben is an attorney (environmental, natural resources, energy, and land use) and lives in Buena Vista. He has a BA in economics, a JD, and an LLM from the Univ. of Denver in Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy. Ben is also a former Assistant Attorney General for Alaska where he handled public lands and wildlife management.
“I have worked on public lands matters, wildlife management, environmental rulemaking, chronic wasting disease, grassroots advocacy, endangered species, stream access, and a host of matters involving the major federal land management agencies,” he explained. “I would like to put this experience to work for BHA.”
Ben likes getting his “hands in the dirt for conservation,” but is also happy to use his legal and policy background “on a keyboard when it’s helpful.” He’s also affiliated with the Foundation for Energy and Natural Resources. “I serve as an Editor on the editorial board of the organization's biannual journal,” he added.
Are you interested in serving on the Colorado BHA Chapter Leadership Team? Learn more about our volunteer opportunities here.
Founded by Mike Beagle, a former U.S. Army field artillery officer, and formed around an Oregon campfire, in 2004, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is the voice for our nation’s wild public lands, waters and wildlife.[1] With members spread out across all 50 states and 13 Canadian provinces and territories—including chapters in 49 states, two Canadian provinces and one territory, and Washington, D.C.—BHA brings an authentic, informed, boots-on-the-ground voice to the conservation of public lands. The Colorado BHA chapter was founded by David “Elkheart” Petersen (a former U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot) in 2005 (the first official BHA chapter)[2]
[1] David A. Lien. “Freedom & Fire: A Brief BHA History II.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 2/24/25.
[2] David A. Lien. “Where Hope Lives: A Brief BHA History.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 11/30/20.
About David Lien