Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps

What Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps does

Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps (ALCC) is an Indigenous conservation corps program that operates under the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Conservation Legacy, delivering paid conservation service programs to Native American youth, young adults, and military veterans across the American Southwest. ALCC's portfolio includes Adult Conservation Crews, Local Youth Crews, the Individual Placements Program (internships with NPS, USFS, BLM, and tribal Historic Preservation Offices), the Acoma Farm Corps Program (traditional agriculture and seed rematriation producing over 400 pounds of donated food annually), the Wood For Life Program (which has delivered over 7,000 cords of firewood to Hopi and Navajo communities since 2018), a Veterans Fire Crew, and a Native Conservation Crew. The organization operates eight field offices across New Mexico, Arizona, and Wyoming (Acoma Pueblo, Albuquerque, Kykotsmovi, Gallup, Zuni, Wind River, Isleta Pueblo, and Torreon), with geographic expansion into Wyoming as recently as 2024.

ALCC partners with federal land management agencies (NPS, USFS, BLM), tribal governments (Navajo Nation, Hopi, Zuni, Acoma, Mescalero Apache, Ute Mountain Ute, Wind River), AmeriCorps, The Corps Network, and the 21st Century Conservation Corps partnership. Named project sites include Wupatki National Monument, Montezuma Castle, Pipestone, Bears Ears, Prescott and Coconino National Forests, Canyons of the Ancients, and Grand Canyon. Revenue is sourced from individual donations (Network for Good / Donorbox), corporate and foundation grants (National Park Foundation, National Forest Foundation, REI Cooperative Action Fund, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Getty Foundation), AmeriCorps cost-reimbursement, and state-level outdoor recreation grants.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform; the underlying model is a human-staffed field service operation. Commercial recognition includes a 2024 Heart of the Land Award (Farm to Table New Mexico), a 2024 Project Excellence Award (Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals), a 2023 Project of the Year Award (The Corps Network, for Acoma Pueblo water delivery response), a 2022 USDA Chiefs Award for Wood For Life, and a 2026 Corpsmember of the Year recognition. As a program of Conservation Legacy (Federal Tax ID 84-1450808), ALCC does not have independent financials, ownership, or governance; the parent organization underwent a brand refresh and federated identity model in 2023.

Name

Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps

Legal name

Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps

Website

https://ancestrallands.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit program under Conservation Legacy that engages Indigenous youth and military veterans in paid conservation service across tribal and federal lands in New Mexico, Arizona, and Wyoming through crews, individual placements, and specialized initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Administration of Conservation Programs (924120)

SIC

Forestry (800), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Forestry & Indigenous Land Stewardship Services (IMAMAJAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), Forestry & Public Lands Administration (State/National Forests) (BPAIAMAF)

Keywords

• Conservation service programs
• Youth conservation corps
• Land stewardship
• Tribal conservation
• Wildfire crew services

Headquarters

HQ city

Albuquerque

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations through Network for Good platform; Conservation Legacy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with Federal Tax ID 84-1450808
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from organizations including National Park Foundation, National Forest Foundation, REI Cooperative Action Fund, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Getty Foundation, and government grants
3. AmeriCorps National Service Funding: Partnership with AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA providing service opportunities and funding for young adults

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps is a nonprofit conservation service program that engages Indigenous youth, young adults, and veterans in paid field-based conservation work on tribal, federal, and state lands. Its portfolio includes adult and youth conservation crews, individual agency placements, a traditional farm corps, a firewood distribution program (Wood For Life), and wildland fire crews. Services are delivered at no cost to participants, who receive stipends, training, and pathways into federal land management careers.

Product overview

Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps operates a portfolio of conservation service programs focused on engaging Indigenous youth and young adults in land stewardship. The core offerings include Adult Conservation Crews and Local Youth Crews providing paid field-based conservation work; the Individual Placements Program offering internships with agency partners; the Acoma Farm Corps Program focused on traditional agriculture and food security; and the Wood For Life Program distributing firewood to tribal communities. Specialized programs include Veterans Fire Crews and Native Conservation Crews. Programs are delivered through field offices in Acoma Pueblo, Albuquerque, Hopi, Navajo Nation, Zuni Pueblo, Wind River, and Isleta Pueblo.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wood For Life: A collaborative network of organizations including National Forest Foundation, U.S. Forest Service, and ALCC in northern Arizona working to provide sustainable heating solutions and firewood to tribal communities.

Products and services

• Adult Conservation Crews Paid crew-based conservation service opportunities engaging Indigenous young adults in trail maintenance, habitat restoration, wildfire resilience, and other land stewardship projects on federal, state, and tribal lands.
• Local Youth Crews Youth-focused conservation crews providing paid service opportunities for young people from tribal communities to engage in land management and conservation projects.
• Individual Placements Program Internship-style placements placing participants directly with agency partners (NPS, BLM, USFS, tribal organizations) for project-based work in archaeology, historic preservation, natural resources, and land management.
• Acoma Farm Corps Program Agricultural program reconnecting Indigenous youth to traditional farming practices through seed rematriation, traditional knowledge transfer, and food production, generating over 400 pounds of food donated annually.
• Wood For Life Program Collaborative firewood distribution initiative processing downed trees and small-diameter timber from forest restoration into firewood, mulch, and building materials for Hopi and Navajo communities; has delivered over 7,000 cords since 2018 while employing Indigenous youth.
• Veterans Fire Crew Specialized fire crew program providing veterans with paid conservation service, wildland firefighting training, and civilian career transition support.
• Native Conservation Crew All-Native American conservation crew integrating Indigenous insight and perspective into national park management and conservation work, supported by National Park Foundation grants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400 pounds of food produced and donated annually through Farm Corps Program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• U.S. Department of the Interior - Indian Youth Service CorpscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023IYSC established by Secretary Haaland to provide Indigenous youth with conservation service opportunities. ALCC participates in this new partnership-based program.
• National Park FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022ALCC's Native Conservation Crew supported through National Park Foundation grants. NPF has been a consistent funding partner supporting conservation corps crews and individual placement interns.
• Conservation LegacyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization that operates Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps as one of its programs. Conservation Legacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that coordinates national service and conservation corps programs across the country.
• AmeriCorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational service program providing service opportunities to young adults. ALCC partners with AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA to offer service positions.
• Partnership for the 21st Century Conservation Corps (21CSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational effort to put young Americans and veterans to work protecting, restoring, and enhancing America's outdoors. Conservation Legacy provides strategic leadership on behalf of ALCC.
• The Corps NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization representing conservation and service corps. ALCC is a proud member providing leadership to the corps movement.
• National Forest FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in Wood For Life program providing small diameter timber from forest restoration projects to tribal communities. NFF works with Forest Service and ALCC on joint conservation goals.
• U.S. Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partner in Wood For Life program and various conservation projects. Forest Service provides access to forest restoration materials and partners on youth employment opportunities.
• National Park ServicecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPrimary agency partner hosting ALCC crews and Individual Placements for conservation, preservation, and restoration projects on national park lands.
• Trees, Water & PeoplecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Mancos River restoration project and Wood For Life initiative. Facilitated collaboration between tribes and conservation organizations.
• Montezuma Land ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal land conservancy partner in Mancos River restoration project, facilitating tribal access along private river stretches.
• Ute Mountain Ute TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in ethnobotany project ($55,000 Great Outdoors Colorado grant) and Mancos River restoration providing tribal access to ancestral lands.
• Mescalero Apache TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in $98,183 Outdoor Recreation Trail+ Grant for community-led trail systems development supporting health, safety, and nature connection.
• Annie E. Casey FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation staff visited ALCC Acoma office to highlight Farm Corps Program work and interview crew members about their experiences.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Conservation Experience: A national conservation corps running AmeriCorps crews and individual placements with federal agencies; directly overlaps ALCC on NPS/USFS/BLM individual placement placements and crew operations, and competes for the same AmeriCorps funding pool.
• Montana Conservation Corps: Conservation corps serving youth and veterans through AmeriCorps crews and individual placements on federal, state, and tribal lands. Direct service model and funding structure mirror ALCC's.
• Southwest Conservation Corps: An AmeriCorps-affiliated conservation corps operating in the same Southwest geography with similar crew-based and individual placement programming serving youth and veterans. Operates under the same Conservation Legacy parent as ALCC, making it the closest structural peer.
• Utah Conservation Corps: A university-based AmeriCorps conservation corps (Utah State University) operating youth and veteran crews on public lands. Closely comparable crew-based model, geographic proximity to ALCC's service area, and shared federal-agency partnerships.
• Groundwork USA: A national network of local Groundwork trusts engaging youth in environmental stewardship and community-based conservation projects. Comparable youth-development-meets-conservation-service model, also dependent on AmeriCorps and federal partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Conservation Legacy: ALCC's parent 501(c)(3) operating multiple conservation corps programs nationally (Southwest Conservation Corps, Southeast Conservation Corps, etc.). Comparable service model at portfolio level; ALCC is its Indigenous-focused program.
• California Conservation Corps: State-government-affiliated corps employing young adults in conservation and emergency response projects. Much larger scale than ALCC but operates the same fundamental crew-based service model, offering a benchmark for state-level corps structure.
• Student Conservation Association: The largest national conservation service corps, placing youth and young adults with federal land-management agencies since 1957. Overlaps directly with ALCC on NPS individual placements and crew model, with substantially larger national scale.

Others

• National Park Trust: A national nonprofit focused on completing land acquisition and conservation projects in partnership with NPS; an adjacent enabling organization in the same federal-agency ecosystem where ALCC places crews.

Emerging players

• Indigenous Environmental Network: Indigenous-led environmental advocacy and capacity-building organization that overlaps with ALCC's mission of Indigenous land stewardship but focuses on policy advocacy rather than direct crew-based service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ConservLegacy
• Facebookfacebook.com/ancestrallands
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ancestral-lands-conservation-corps
• Instagraminstagram.com/ancestrallands

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps