What Appalachian Conservation Corps does

Appalachian Conservation Corps (ACC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation service organization founded in 2016 and headquartered in Harrisonburg, Virginia, operating as a regional program of the national Conservation Legacy network. ACC runs AmeriCorps-funded service programs structured around four tracks: Adult Conservation Crews for participants aged 18-30, Youth Conservation Crews for ages 16-18, Individual Placements (internships) of three- to twelve-month terms with federal, state, and nonprofit land managers, and the Veteran Fire Corps for veterans aged 18-35. Service work spans trail construction and maintenance, chainsaw and herbicide operations, wildland fire support, historic preservation, habitat restoration, and visitor interpretation across Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia.

The organization's service catalog is segmented into crew types (Trail, Chainsaw, Chainsaw Women's+, Wildland Fire, Herbicide, Historic Restoration) and Individual Placement specialties (Invasive Plant Management, Education and Interpretation, Digital Design and Science Communications, Historical Research and Preservation, Cultural and Natural Resource Management). ACC has run over 100 seasonal conservation crews since founding and facilitated 178 individual placements, with more than 60 interns deployed in 2023 alone. Crews are deployed to partner sites in teams of five to eight plus two crew leaders, providing their own housing, equipment, transportation, and food during project assignments. No proprietary technology underpins the operating model; the deliverable is skilled human labor and project completion, not software.

The revenue model is non-commercial and funder-driven. Primary funding flows through AmeriCorps federal grants administered via Conservation Legacy, supplemented by partner project fees and co-funding from federal agencies (NPS, USFS, Army Corps of Engineers) and conservation NGOs (The Nature Conservancy, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Green Forests Work), plus individual charitable contributions processed through Conservation Legacy's Donorbox and Network for Good platforms. ACC does not charge customers for services; participants receive living stipends and Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards upon completing service terms. Distribution is direct-to-partner: crews and individual placements are sourced through outreach via website, social media, educational institution partnerships, and AmeriCorps program promotion, then matched to projects identified jointly with federal and state land management agencies.

Name

Appalachian Conservation Corps

Legal name

Appalachian Conservation Corps

Website

https://appalachiancc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Appalachian Conservation Corps operates AmeriCorps-funded conservation service programs—crews and individual placements—for youth, young adults, and veterans, partnering with federal and state land management agencies across Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and DC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA), Environmental Conservation & Sustainability Volunteering (EDAIAGAB), Forest Ecosystem Services & Carbon/Conservation Programs (AFAMAAAJ)

Keywords

• Conservation services
• Land management support
• Trail construction
• Habitat restoration
• Youth development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrisonburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. AmeriCorps Federal Funding: ACC operates as an AmeriCorps program receiving federal grants and funding through Conservation Legacy's national service agreements.
2. Partner Project Fees: Land management agencies and conservation organizations pay for or co-fund conservation crew services and individual placement hosting arrangements.
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donors contribute through Conservation Legacy's donorbox platform and Network for Good, supporting conservation service programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Appalachian Conservation Corps (ACC) operates AmeriCorps conservation service programs that deploy trained crews and individual interns to federal, state, and nonprofit land management partners across Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. Service offerings include seasonal adult conservation crews, youth summer crews (ages 16-18), individual placements/internships with land management agencies, and veteran fire corps, completing trail construction, habitat restoration, invasive species management, historic preservation, and wildland firefighting projects. Participants receive living stipends and Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards in exchange for their service terms.

Product overview

Appalachian Conservation Corps (ACC) is a program of Conservation Legacy that operates as a nationwide network of conservation service organizations. ACC offers a portfolio of experiential learning programs structured as distinct service tracks: Adult Conservation Crews for ages 18-30 providing hands-on conservation work across trail construction, habitat improvement, invasive species management, and historic restoration; Youth Conservation Crews for ages 16-18 offering summer service programs; Individual Placements (internships) with federal and state land management agencies offering specialized positions in Invasive Plant Management, Education and Interpretation, Digital Design, Historical Research, and Natural Resource Management; and Veteran Fire Corps providing wildland firefighting training for veterans. ACC also operates specialized crew types including Trail Crews, Chainsaw Crews (including Women's+ inclusive crew), Herbicide Crews, Wildland Fire Crews, and Historic Restoration Crews. Programs are available across Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia, with partners including the National Park Service, US Forest Service, and The Nature Conservancy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adult Conservation Crews

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ seasonal conservation crews completed since 2016
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Conservation LegacycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016ACC is a program of Conservation Legacy, a nationwide network of conservation service organizations. Conservation Legacy provides organizational infrastructure, funding coordination, and national program leadership.
• AmeriCorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmeriCorps provides federal funding and national service framework enabling ACC to offer service opportunities to young adults. ACC partners with AmeriCorps to engage participants in intensive community service meeting critical environmental and community needs.
• Partnership for the 21st Century Conservation Service CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation Legacy provides strategic leadership to the 21CSC on behalf of ACC. The 21CSC is a national effort to put young Americans and veterans to work protecting, restoring, and enhancing America's outdoors through public-private partnerships.
• The Corps NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACC is a proud member of The Corps Network, receiving critical leadership support and accreditation for the corps movement and nation's service and conservation corps organizations.
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNPS is the primary federal partner hosting ACC crews and individual placements. Projects include trail maintenance, invasive species management, historic preservation, and visitor services at parks across the Appalachian Region.
• US Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSFS hosts ACC crews for conservation projects on national forests including Wayne National Forest and Monongahela National Forest, including forest restoration and mining reclamation work.
• Army Corps of EngineersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACC partners with Army Corps of Engineers for conservation projects on managed lands.
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Nature Conservancy partners with ACC for restoration projects requiring skilled conservation crews. ACC removed 35,000 tree shelters from TNC restoration sites.
• Green Forests WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACC partners with Green Forests Work on Monongahela National Forest projects to restore formerly mined areas of the forest.
• The Appalachian Trail ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACC works with ATC on trail maintenance and stewardship projects along the Appalachian Trail and connector trails in Shenandoah National Park.
• Friends of BlackwaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization partnered with ACC for conservation projects.
• Schuylkill River Greenway AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional conservation organization partnered with ACC for greenway projects.
• Blue Ridge Partnership for Regional Invasive Species ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partnership coordinating invasive species management efforts that ACC participates in.
• National Forest FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNFF partnered with REI to provide grant funding for the Baileys Trail System project in Wayne National Forest, with ACC providing trail construction crew support.
• Virginia Outdoors FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVOF partners with ACC for the Land Steward Individual Placements pilot program, placing interns to monitor private land easements across Virginia using GIS mapping.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Student Conservation Association: National nonprofit placing youth and young adults in conservation service on public lands through crews, internships, and individual placements. Highly comparable to ACC in target participants, federal partner mix (NPS, USFS), and crew-based service delivery model.
• Southwest Conservation Corps: Sister program under Conservation Legacy operating youth and adult conservation crews in the Four Corners region. Directly comparable in service model, AmeriCorps funding structure, and crew types (trail, chainsaw, fire).
• Groundwork USA: National network of local trusts engaging youth in environmental restoration projects, particularly in urban and underserved communities. Comparable in youth-development-plus-conservation-service model and AmeriCorps funding.
• Montana Conservation Corps: AmeriCorps-affiliated nonprofit running youth and adult conservation crews across Montana and surrounding states. Comparable in target demographics, federal/state partner mix, and crew-based project delivery.
• California Conservation Corps: State-government conservation corps employing young adults on conservation and emergency response projects statewide. Comparable in mission, participant demographics, and project mix, though with legislatively-appropriated rather than grant-based funding.
• Rocky Mountain Youth Corps: Regional conservation corps in Colorado and New Mexico running AmeriCorps youth and young adult crews on trail, restoration, and fire projects. Comparable in service model, federal partner reliance, and crew composition.

Broad incumbents

• Conservation Legacy: Parent organization of ACC and operator of seven other regional and national conservation corps programs (e.g., Southwest Conservation Corps, Southeast Conservation Corps). Comparable because ACC itself is one of its programs, sharing back-office, fundraising, and federal partnership infrastructure.
• AmeriCorps: Federal agency funding national service programs including ACC's AmeriCorps grants. Comparable as the structural funder and framework underpinning ACC's entire service delivery and education-award model.
• The Corps Network: National membership association of 140+ service and conservation corps, including ACC. Comparable as ACC's accrediting body and industry convener, shaping standards, federal advocacy, and funding access for the broader corps movement.

Regional players

• Washington Conservation Corps: State-funded AmeriCorps program within Washington Dept. of Ecology engaging young adults in environmental restoration and trail projects. Comparable in mission and crew-based service delivery, though operating under state rather than nonprofit governance in the Pacific Northwest.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ConservationLegacy/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/appalachianconservationcorps
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/appalachian-cc
• Instagraminstagram.com/appalachian_cc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Appalachian Conservation Corps