National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs

What National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs does

NACLEC is a Phoenix-based 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional association, founded in 1996, that represents chief executives of state conservation law enforcement agencies in the United States. Its membership base covers all 50 state fish and wildlife agencies and extends to federal partners such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. State Department, with growing international engagement into Canada and African nations. The association provides professional development, peer networking, and policy coordination for an estimated 50-state plus federal chief constituency.

The association's product portfolio is anchored by the National Conservation Law Enforcement Leadership Academy (NCLELA), launched in May 2014, which is a tuition-based executive training program delivered at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV. Complementary offerings include the Introduction to Conservation Leadership (ICL) course for first-line supervisors (announced November 2019) and the Natural Resource Crime Center (NRCC), a centralized platform launched in December 2014 that delivers training, technical resources, and investigative support to member agencies. NACLEC also provides administrative support to the Wildlife Violator Compact (WVC), an interstate agreement that suspends hunting and fishing licenses across participating states.

Revenue mechanics combine agency membership dues ($500 per agency annually) with per-seat tuition for NCLELA ($4,750 members, $5,250 non-members) and ICL ($3,000 members, $3,500 non-members). Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the estimated annual scale sits below $1M based on inferred class sizes and membership counts. The association supplements revenue through a related 501(c)(3) entity and federal pass-through support for training facility use. Headcount is in the 11-50 range and the operating model is governance-, training-, and convening-led rather than technology-led.

Name

National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs

Legal name

National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs

Website

https://naclec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NACLEC is a Phoenix-based 501(c)(6) nonprofit association, founded in 1996, that represents conservation law enforcement chiefs across U.S. state and federal agencies and delivers executive training (NCLELA, ICL) and the Natural Resource Crime Center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association / Law Enforcement Training

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental, Health & Safety / Sustainability (EHS, Environmental Compliance CE) (EDAAALAO)

Keywords

• Conservation law enforcement
• Leadership academy
• Professional association
• Wildlife enforcement training
• Law enforcement training

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Dues: Annual membership dues of $500 per agency, providing access to member resources, networking, and leadership academy member pricing.
2. Leadership Academy Tuition: Revenue from the National Conservation Law Enforcement Leadership Academy (NCLELA) - $4,750 for member agencies and $5,250 for non-members. Additional revenue from Introduction to Conservation Leadership courses - $3,000 for members and $3,500 for non-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NACLEC is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional association that delivers executive leadership development, training academies, and collaboration platforms for conservation law enforcement chiefs in the United States and internationally. It sells annual agency memberships ($500/agency) and tuition-based leadership academies — the National Conservation Law Enforcement Leadership Academy (NCLELA) for executive-level officers and the Introduction to Conservation Leadership (ICL) course for first-line supervisors — delivered at the USFWS National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Product overview

The National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs (NACLEC) offers a portfolio of professional development and operational products for the conservation law enforcement community. The core offerings include two leadership academies: the National Conservation Law Enforcement Leadership Academy (NCLELA) for executive-level officers and the Introduction to Conservation Leadership (ICL) course for early-to-mid-career officers. NACLEC also provides membership access, the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact for interstate cooperation, and the Natural Resource Crime Center for information sharing. The organization was formed in 1996 and operates as a 501(c)(6) charity with a companion 501(c)(3) Education Foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NACLEC Agency Membership Annual agency-level membership at $500/year providing access to NACLEC's leadership academies at member pricing, member resources (surveys, presentations, meeting minutes, agency reports, hiring process coordination), and networking with conservation law enforcement chiefs across the U.S. and Canada.
• National Conservation Law Enforcement Leadership Academy (NCLELA) Flagship executive leadership development program for mid-career conservation law enforcement executives (those with at least five years remaining in their career). Covers adaptive leadership, systems thinking, leading innovation, mental health and wellness, and contemporary law enforcement issues through student-centered, experiential learning with online pre-work and residency at NCTC. Tuition: $4,750 (members) / $5,250 (non-members), including meals, lodging at NCTC, and instructional costs.
• Introduction to Conservation Leadership (ICL) Course Leadership development course for early-to-mid-career conservation law enforcement officers (typically 5-10 years of experience) covering adaptive leadership, self-awareness, personal leadership capacity, officer wellness, and including an applied learning project addressing challenges within participants' own agencies. Tuition: $3,000 (members) / $3,500 (non-members).
• Natural Resource Crime Center (NRCC) Secure-hosted information sharing platform exclusively for Conservation Law Enforcement agencies across the country. Enables document sharing, collaborative investigations, contact networking, and training opportunity sharing. Participation requires membership in Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS).
• Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact Support Cooperative interstate agreement supported by NACLEC among member states that promotes compliance with wildlife laws through reciprocal recognition of license privilege suspension. The compact has 45+ member states, with violators facing consequences in all participating compact states.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 200 wildlife officers have successfully completed the National Conservation Law Enforcement Leadership Academy to date
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSFWS is the primary partner for the National Conservation Law Enforcement Leadership Academy. The USFWS National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in Shepherdstown, WV serves as the venue for academy programs. USFWS Office of Law Enforcement co-sponsors the International Conservation Chiefs Academy and provides executive leadership support. The partnership enables delivery of leadership training to conservation law enforcement executives.
• US Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center (NCTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCTC provides the training facility and hospitality for all NACLEC Leadership Academy programs. Located on 533 acres in Shepherdstown, WV, NCTC is described as a premier training facility fitted for creating a conservation learning atmosphere. NCTC Director Jay Slack and staff have been instrumental in academy success.
• Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFWA is a key supporting partner for NACLEC initiatives. NACLEC holds its annual meeting in conjunction with AFWA Annual Meetings. AFWA's Fish and Wildlife Relevancy Roadmap provides strategic framework for conservation law enforcement planning. The organizations collaborate on national strategy formulation.
• Wildlife Tomorrow FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildlife Tomorrow Fund played a pivotal role in the equipment donation initiative to African conservation rangers, utilizing contacts to aid with shipping and having volunteers carry extra suitcases filled with uniforms.
• Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact Member StatesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNACLEC supports the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, which currently has 45 member states. The compact promotes compliance with wildlife laws across state lines by establishing reciprocal recognition of license privilege suspension. Nebraska became the 46th state and New Jersey the 47th state to join.
• Regional Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs' AssociationsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNACLEC bylaws establish four regional associations (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and Western) whose representatives serve on NACLEC's Executive Board. The Northeast Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2017. These regional associations enable state-level coordination and representation.
• Natural Resource Crime Center (NRCC)majorTechnology or IntegrationNACLEC announced the launch of the Natural Resource Crime Center, a secure-hosted information sharing website available exclusively to Conservation Law Enforcement agencies. The NRCC enables document sharing, collaborative investigations, and contact networking across agencies. Participation requires membership in Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS).
• International Wildlife CrimestoppersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Wildlife Crimestoppers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, partners with NACLEC to support sustainable use of natural resources and deter poaching. The organization provides information exchange and community engagement programs to help stop wildlife trafficking.
• International Conservation Chiefs Academy PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe International Conservation Chiefs Academy (ICCA) is jointly coordinated by NACLEC, USFWS Office of Law Enforcement, and the US State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement. The program includes conservation officials from 17 African nations and has expanded to include partners like Wildlife Tomorrow Fund for equipment donations to African rangers.
• US State Department Bureau of International Narcotics and Law EnforcementmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bureau provides support and resources for the International Conservation Chiefs Academy, contributing to NACLEC's international capacity building efforts in wildlife trafficking prevention.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Wildlife Federation (NWF): Large national conservation advocacy organization that engages state wildlife agencies and policymakers, contributing to the political environment that drives conservation law enforcement demand. Adjacent rather than direct overlap with NACLEC's executive-training focus.
• Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA): National association of state fish and wildlife agencies whose directors and programmatic staff sit across the same member agencies that NACLEC chiefs lead. Co-hosts NACLEC's annual meetings and frames national strategy relevant to conservation law enforcement priorities.
• Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS): International conservation NGO with field-based law-enforcement capacity-building programs (notably in Africa and Asia). Touches NACLEC's international-capacity-building lane and competes for the same donor and federal-grant funding.

Emerging players

• International Wildlife Crimestoppers: 501(c)(3) that partners with NACLEC on wildlife-trafficking prevention and community-tip-line programs. Operates in the same conservation-law-enforcement mission space with a complementary advocacy/outreach model.
• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW): Global nonprofit operating wildlife-crime prevention programs that intersect with NACLEC's transnational enforcement-training work. Comparable to NACLEC's ICCA in targeting ranger and enforcement-capacity building in African range states.

Direct peers

• National Sheriffs' Association (NSA): National membership association serving executive-level sheriffs and their senior staff with leadership training, policy advocacy, and member services. Operates with a comparable 501(c)(3)/501(c)(6) footprint and very similar membership/training economics to NACLEC.
• International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP): National membership association for chief executives of police agencies worldwide. Like NACLEC, IACP provides executive leadership development, policy advocacy, and information sharing to sworn executives in a specific law-enforcement vertical, with similar membership dues and academy-style training.
• Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA): Membership association for elected and appointed large-county sheriffs, offering leadership development academies and policy forums. Operates a comparable chief-tier-only model and annual-meeting strategy relevant to law-enforcement executive training.
• IADLEST (International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training): Association of state POST directors and law-enforcement training executives focused on standards and leadership development for the law-enforcement training community. Closely parallels NACLEC's executive-development mission within a parallel national-association structure.

Regional players

• National Park Service Office of Law Enforcement: Federal law-enforcement directorate with conservation-protection responsibilities analogous to member agency chiefs' portfolios. NACLEC's federal segment includes National Park Service-area executives, making it a natural peer with substantial overlap in mission and workforce.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NACLEC

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs