American Conservation Experience

What American Conservation Experience does

American Conservation Experience (ACE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation corps founded in 2004 and headquartered in Flagstaff, Arizona. It recruits, trains and deploys young adults (ages 18-30, veterans up to 35) and emerging conservation professionals to deliver field-based environmental services — trail construction and maintenance, habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring, invasive species management, fuels reduction and disaster response — for federal, state and local land-management agencies. ACE operates through two core programs: a team-based Conservation Crew program and the EPIC (Emerging Professionals In Conservation) individual-placement program with agency mentors; supplementary offerings include Disaster Response Teams, ACE Solutions/Restoration Services, the Traditional Trades Advancement Program (TTAP), and an Alumni Engagement network.

ACE's revenue model is built on federal AmeriCorps program grants combined with cooperative agreements and contracts from land-management agencies — primarily the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management — supplemented by individual and corporate donations. Members receive biweekly living allowances, housing, food during projects, and AmeriCorps Education Awards upon term completion; partner agencies pay for project services rather than members as labor. Service terms range from 3 to 12 months, and ACE operates through seven regional hubs (including Flagstaff, Sacramento, Ridgecrest, Coachella Valley, Hurricane UT, Asheville NC, and San Juan PR) supporting projects across all 50 states and several US territories.

ACE scaled annual operations from approximately $27M to more than $48M between 2022 and 2024, now supporting over 1,300 active members annually through a program department of 100+ staff, and maintains a 10,000+ historical alumni base across 250+ federal, state and local agency partnerships. The organization is led by CEO Laura Herrin (joined 2018, formerly SVP at Student Conservation Association) and President/CFOO Laura Craig (joined 2022), with a board comprising former senior officials from NPS, USFS, Bureau of Reclamation, and climate-tech and policy backgrounds.

Name

American Conservation Experience

Legal name

American Conservation Experience

Website

https://usaconservation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

American Conservation Experience is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation corps founded in 2004 that recruits and deploys young adults and emerging professionals to deliver field-based conservation services for federal, state, and local land-management agencies across all 50 states and US territories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Corps Services

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Conservation & Sustainability Volunteering (EDAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Outdoor & Survival Skills Lessons (Bushcraft, Navigation, Foraging) (THAJAKAM)

Keywords

• Conservation corps services
• Environmental restoration services
• Land management workforce
• Trail construction services
• Habitat restoration projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Flagstaff

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. AmeriCorps Government Funding: Federal AmeriCorps grant funding that provides living allowances and education awards to members while supporting conservation project delivery to partner agencies.
2. Federal Agency Project Contracts: Direct contracts with National Park Service, US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management for specific conservation projects including trail construction, habitat restoration, and disaster response.
3. Public Donations: Individual and corporate donations from supporters of conservation and public lands, facilitated through website donation capabilities.
4. State and Local Agency Partnerships: Contracts and cooperative agreements with state and local land management organizations for conservation project delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

American Conservation Experience (ACE) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation corps that recruits, trains, and deploys young adults and emerging professionals to deliver hands-on conservation field projects for federal, state, and local land management agencies. Its core offerings include crew-based conservation service teams and individual placement programs focused on trail construction, habitat restoration, forestry, invasive species management, and disaster response.

Product overview

American Conservation Experience (ACE) is a national nonprofit conservation corps offering multiple interconnected programs. The core offerings include the Conservation Crew Program (team-based field conservation work) and the EPIC (Emerging Professionals In Conservation) individual placement/internship program. Supporting services include Disaster Response Teams for emergency deployment, Alumni Engagement for career development, and ACE Solutions for professional restoration services. Programs operate through regional divisions (Eastern, Southwest, Pacific West, Mountain West) with physical hubs across the US.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EPIC – Emerging Professionals In Conservation: Individual placement program (internships) providing focused, hands-on opportunities for emerging professionals to work alongside agency mentors in conservation.
• Conservation Crew
• Disaster Response

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 members trained since founding in 2004
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• EPIC Partner AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014EPIC program operates through agreements with NPS, BLM, USFS, USFWS, Bureau of Reclamation, and non-federal conservation organizations providing individual placement opportunities nationwide.
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Long-standing partnership with NPS for conservation crew and individual placement programs. ACE members work on trail maintenance, habitat restoration, cultural preservation, and disaster response across national parks nationwide.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Partnership providing wildlife habitat management, refuge restoration, and ecological monitoring support through crew and EPIC placements. ACE supports USFWS conservation easement monitoring programs.
• U.S. Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004National partnership for forest management, trail construction, fuels reduction, and wildland fire mitigation projects. ACE provides trained crews for national forest restoration and maintenance.
• Bureau of Land ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Partnership for public lands restoration, OHV trail management, invasive species control, and recreation area maintenance across BLM-managed lands.
• State and Local Land Management AgenciessecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Partnerships with state parks departments, state wildlife agencies, and local conservation organizations beyond the 250+ federal partnerships, providing conservation workforce across all 50 states.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Student Conservation Association: The largest U.S. national nonprofit conservation corps, placing young adults and emerging professionals with federal/state land-management agencies. Direct counterpart to ACE — same AmeriCorps affiliation, same federal agency partners, same EPIC-style individual placement model (formerly Conservation Intern program).
• Vermont Youth Conservation Corps: State-based AmeriCorps conservation corps running residential and crew-based service programs in the Northeast. Comparable in member demographics, AmeriCorps education award delivery, and crew-based service structure to ACE's Conservation Crew program.
• Conservation Legacy: National nonprofit running multiple regional conservation corps programs (including Southwest Conservation Corps, Southeast Conservation Corps, etc.). Competitor for the same AmeriCorps federal grants, federal contract pipeline, and member recruitment pool.
• Great Basin Institute: Nevada-based nonprofit conservation corps emphasizing scientific monitoring and research crews working on federal lands. Direct competitor for DOI/USFS contracts in the West and for emerging-professional placements analogous to ACE's EPIC program.
• EarthCorps: Seattle-based AmeriCorps conservation corps focused on environmental restoration and youth leadership in the Pacific Northwest. Comparable crew-based model with AmeriCorps affiliation and partnership with municipal/state land-management agencies.
• Montana Conservation Corps: State-based AmeriCorps conservation corps headquartered in Montana, serving USFS, BLM, and state land-management agencies in the Northern Rockies. Comparable crew-based service model, member age range, and federal partner mix to ACE.
• Northwest Youth Corps: Oregon-based AmeriCorps-affiliated conservation corps serving Pacific Northwest federal lands. Comparable youth conservation service model with similar 18-30 member demographic and trail/restoration project mix.
• Arizona Conservation Corps: Flagstaff-based AmeriCorps conservation corps (same home city as ACE HQ) serving Arizona and Southwest federal/state lands. Direct regional competitor for federal contracts, member recruitment, and AmeriCorps Education Award-funded placements.

Others

• The Corps Network: National industry association representing conservation and service corps — of which ACE is an accredited member. Not a direct competitor but a strategic gatekeeper for federal AmeriCorps policy, advocacy, and inter-corps resource sharing.

Emerging players

• NatureBridge: National nonprofit operating residential environmental education programs at national park sites. Adjacent rather than direct competition — NatureBridge focuses on K-12 and youth education rather than crew-based conservation service, but competes for some of ACE's youth demographic and federal partnership surface area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNZ5QnrWe-PuYT8LkScogjA
• Facebookfacebook.com/usaconservation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-conservation-experience
• Instagraminstagram.com/americanconservationexperience
• TikToktiktok.com/@usaconservation
• Xx.com/usaconservation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Conservation Experience