Black Hills Parks & Forests Association

What Black Hills Parks & Forests Association does

Black Hills Parks & Forests Association (BHPFA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1946 and headquartered in Hot Springs, South Dakota, with 13 employees. It operates as the official cooperative nonprofit partner of seven federal public land units: Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Black Hills National Forest, Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands, and the National Grasslands Visitor Center, spanning the Black Hills region and Nebraska Panhandle. The organization funds public land education and conservation through retail operations, programs, and donations.

Name

Black Hills Parks & Forests Association

Legal name

Black Hills Parks & Forests Association

Website

https://blackhillsparks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Short description

BHPFA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves as the official partner of seven NPS and USFS public land units in the Black Hills and Nebraska Panhandle, funding conservation and education through retail stores, membership programs, workshops, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Land Education and Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Interpretation & Ranger-Led Education Programs (Visitor Education) (THAAAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF), Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

Keywords

• Nonprofit park partner
• Public land education
• Outdoor education programs
• Conservation merchandise retail
• Visitor center bookstores

Headquarters

HQ city

Hot Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Program: Annual membership program offering 15% discount on programs. Members provide recurring funding support for operations.
2. Retail Store Sales: Operates park stores at 7 partner locations selling books, maps, gifts, apparel, and conservation merchandise. Each partner site has dedicated store. Store sales fund interpretation and conservation programs.
3. Program Fees: Fees charged for premium nature workshops ($40 adult, $20 child, $100 family), homeschool programs ($10/child), and SheJumps events ($10-$20). Free programs funded through partnerships.
4. Donations and Volunteering: Direct donations and volunteer programs supporting conservation and education work across partner lands.
5. Conservation Merchandise: Specialty merchandise like Black-Footed Ferret Protection Program ($35 with $20 going directly to ferret conservation) that ties retail to conservation outcomes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Black Hills Parks & Forests Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has served since 1946 as the official cooperative partner of seven federal public land units (Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Black Hills National Forest, Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands, and the National Grasslands Visitor Center). It operates retail bookstores at all seven sites, delivers nature-based educational programming (workshops, homeschool curricula, ranger-led hikes, Jr. Ranger Days, Moon Walks, and women's outdoor programs via SheJumps), and channels revenue from product sales, memberships, program fees, and donations into conservation and interpretation support for its partner agencies.

Product overview

Black Hills Parks & Forests Association (BHPFA) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1946 that serves as the official partner of seven federal public land units. Rather than a unified software platform, BHPFA's offerings comprise an integrated portfolio of programs and services: retail bookstore operations at seven partner locations (Wind Cave NP, Jewel Cave NM, Scotts Bluff NM, Agate Fossil Beds NM, Black Hills NF, Nebraska NF & Grasslands, National Grasslands VC) that sell merchandise funding conservation; educational Field School programming including Homeschool Nature Adventures ($10/child), Nature Connection Workshops ($20-$100), Free Ranger Programs, Jr. Ranger Days, Moon Walks, and SheJumps women's outdoor education ($10-$20); conservation programs including the Black-Footed Ferret Protection Program, Adopt-A-Bison, and Adopt-A-Bat; and an annual Membership program offering 15% discounts. Together these programs support interpretation, education, and stewardship across the Black Hills and Nebraska Panhandle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 years of black-footed ferret recovery partnership on Conata Basin
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, flagship and minor.

• Prairie Wildlife ResearchmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Nonprofit wildlife conservation organization founded by veteran biologist Travis Livieri. Supports black-footed ferret recovery work on Buffalo Gap National Grassland, contributing to 30 years of successful reintroduction efforts in the Conata Basin-Badlands landscape.
• SheJumpscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018National nonprofit increasing women's and girls' participation in outdoor activities. BHPFA serves as official local chapter bringing women's outdoor education to the Black Hills including film tours, cave tours, navigation workshops, and group hikes at Jewel Cave, Wind Cave, and Black Hills National Forest.
• National Park ServiceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1946Official nonprofit partner of Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Scotts Bluff National Monument, and Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. Provides vital funding to NPS partner units in support of education goals, operates park bookstores, and supports ranger-led interpretation programs.
• U.S. Forest ServiceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1946Official nonprofit partner of Black Hills National Forest, Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands, and National Grasslands Visitor Center. Supports Forest Service education and interpretation goals, operates visitor center bookstores, and funds conservation programs including black-footed ferret recovery.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency leading black-footed ferret recovery under the Endangered Species Act. Coordinates with USFS, NPS, and partners on reintroduction, plague management, and population monitoring programs.
• South Dakota Game, Fish and ParksmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner in black-footed ferret recovery efforts, providing wildlife biologists and support for ferret monitoring and conservation activities.
• Wilderness VolunteersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for women stewardship projects providing safe spaces for women to engage in outdoor volunteer conservation work.
• Black Hills Area Community FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsored Bark the Beaver 80th anniversary project supporting environmental education across the Black Hills. Proceeds from book sales support BHPFA educational programming.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Yellowstone Forever: The official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone National Park, operating bookstores, education programs, and fundraising for park interpretation and conservation. Directly comparable to BHPFA in mission (NPS co-op association), revenue model (retail + membership + donations), and product (park stores + educational programming).
• Grand Canyon Conservancy: Official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park operating retail, education, and membership programs. Closely comparable co-op association structure and revenue mix to BHPFA, serving as a benchmark for what scaling an NPS co-op to a single high-traffic park looks like.
• Friends of Acadia: Nonprofit partner of Acadia National Park supporting education, conservation, and stewardship through membership and donor programs. Comparable to BHPFA as an NPS-affiliated nonprofit education and conservation partner with a regional focus and donor-driven revenue model.
• Rocky Mountain Conservancy: Official nonprofit partner of Rocky Mountain National Park providing education, volunteer stewardship, and retail operations. Comparable co-op structure and product mix (field classes, bookstore, membership) to BHPFA.
• Zion National Park Forever Project: Official nonprofit partner of Zion National Park supporting education, conservation, and visitor experience programs. Directly analogous co-op association model to BHPFA, with similar retail and education revenue mix.
• Glacier National Park Conservancy: Official nonprofit partner of Glacier National Park operating retail, membership, and grant programs for park interpretation and conservation. Closely comparable in mission, partner type, and revenue diversification to BHPFA.

Broad incumbents

• National Parks Conservation Association: Larger national nonprofit advocating for all NPS units with a broader advocacy, policy, and donor base. Comparable as a conservation nonprofit serving public lands but operates at national rather than single-park partnership scope, making it a broader incumbent rather than a direct co-op peer.
• Appalachian Mountain Club: Long-established outdoor recreation and conservation nonprofit offering guided outdoor programming, lodging, and education across the Northeast. Comparable as a mission-aligned outdoor education organization but operates at a much larger geographic and programmatic scale.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global environmental nonprofit operating conservation programs including land stewardship and education. Comparable as an environmental conservation organization with donor-driven revenue, but at vastly larger scale and broader mission than BHPFA's park-focused scope.

Others

• SheJumps: National nonprofit increasing women's and girls' participation in outdoor activities through local chapters and partner events. BHPFA's partner in delivering women's outdoor programming; comparable in serving similar audience (women/girls outdoor education) but operates as a national umbrella rather than a site-based organization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Black Hills Parks & Forests Association