Alaska Conservation Foundation (ACF) is an environmentalist group in Alaska that campaigns against resource exploitation in the state. Longtime environmentalist activists Celia Hunter and Danny Wilcher formed ACF in 1980 after Congress placed 100 million acres of Alaska land into protected status through the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.

ACF handles two programs called the Sustainable Southeast Partnership and Alaska’s Landscape Conservation Cooperatives. ACF also provides major support for Stand for Salmon, Sportsman’s Alliance for Alaska, and other affiliate environmental groups. ¹

Sportsman’s Alliance for Alaska

Sportsman’s Alliance for Alaska (SAA) is a project of the Alaska Conservation Foundation. As an umbrella of the ACF, SAA’s primary focus is public policy related to the Tongass National Forest, Teshekpuk Lake, and Bristol Bay. ²

Scott Hed has worked for Alaska Conservation Foundation since 2001³ and has assisted ACF on Alaska environmental issues since that time. He was named Angler of the Year by Fly Rod & Reel magazine in 2014. ⁴ In 2006, Hed was placed in charge of the Sportsman’s Alliance for Alaska while working at ACF. ⁵ Despite living full time in Nicaragua,⁶ Hed continues to remain active on issues like the Pebble Mine, even offering to meet with the Governor of Alaska and the mine’s possible reopening. ⁷

Hed, who is also a contributor to the online site, Today Nicaragua, provides tips on retirement locations in the country of Nicaragua since living in the country. Hed moved to Nicaragua and sought, “a respite from northern winters, with a low cost of living and a bit of adventure,” he said. ⁸

Stand for Salmon

In 2018, ACF contributed $60,000 towards the campaign called Stand for Salmon. ⁹

In 2018, the ‘Stand for Salmon’ introduced a ballot initiative that would have “significantly toughened the environmental permitting process for mines, dams, and oil developments in salmon habitat.” Alaska voters overwhelmingly rejected the ballot proposal for tougher restrictions on mineral extraction in the state in 2018. ¹⁰

Funding

Alaska Conservation Foundation receives funding from a number of left-of-center environmentalist funder groups, including the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation,¹¹ the True North Foundation, ¹²the Wildlife Conservation Society,¹³ the Alaska Native Fund¹⁴ and EARTHSHARE. ¹⁵

Groups supported by ACF

ACF also supports, through grants, the Yukon River Intertribal Watershed, Alaska Center Education Fund, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Alaska Longline Fisherman’s Association, Alaska Marine Conservation Council, Alaska Wilderness League, Alaska Wildlife Alliance, Center for Alaska Coastal Studies, Cook Inletkeeper, Discovery Southeast, Earthjustice, Hoonah Indian Association, Hydaburg Cooperative Association, Kenai Watershed Forum, Klawock Cooperative Association, Native American Rights Fund, New Venture Fund, Northern Alaska Environmental Center, Organized Village of Kake, Organized Village Kasaan, Renewable Energy Alaska Project, Sitka Conservation Society, Southeast Alaska Consevation Council, Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition, Sprute Root, Inc., the Nature Conservancy Alaska, Trout Unlimited, Trustees for Alaska, and the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe. ¹⁶

1. Travers, Julia. “How a Conservation Funder Protects One of the World’s Last Great Wildernesses.” Inside Philanthropy. Inside Philanthropy, October 1, 2018. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2018/10/1/how-a-conservation-funder-protects-one-of-the-worlds-last-great-wildernesses.
2. “Alaska Conservation Foundation.” 2009 Annual Report. Alaska Conservation Foundation, 2008. https://alaskaconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/2008-Annual-Report.pdf.
3. IdeaMensch. “Scott Hed – Director of the Sportsman’s Alliance for Alaska.” ideamensch, December 28, 2017. https://ideamensch.com/scott-hed/.
4. “Author Profile: Scott Hed.” The Cleanest Line, October 10, 2017. https://www.patagonia.com/blog/writer/scott-hed/.
5. “Get to Know Scott Hed, the Director of the Sportsman’s Alliance for Alaska.” Deneki Outdoors Fishing Lodges, February 4, 2019. https://www.deneki.com/2019/02/get-to-know-scott-hed-the-director-of-the-sportsmans-alliance-for-alaska/.
6. Aylward, Declan. “Our Dream Home by Lake Nicaragua for $165,000.” International Living, July 13, 2018. https://internationalliving.com/our-dream-home-by-lake-nicaragua-for-165000-yoho/.
7. Reynolds, Joel. “Pebble Mine: An Open Letter to CEO, Wheaton Precious Metals.” NRDC, August 28, 2019. https://www.nrdc.org/experts/joel-reynolds/pebble-mine-open-letter-ceo-wheaton-precious-metals.
8. Torres, Rico. “Nicaragua: No. 8 In The World’s Best Places to Retire in 2018!” TODAY NICARAGUA, February 19, 2018. https://todaynicaragua.com/nicaragua-no-8-in-the-worlds-best-places-to-retire-in-2018/.
9. Alaska Journal of Commerce. Blinkley, Co. . Accessed November 11, 2019. https://www.alaskajournal.com/node?page=142.
10. Harball, Elizabeth, and Alaska’s Energy Desk. “Alaska Voters Strike down ‘Stand for Salmon’ Ballot Initiative.” KTOO, November 7, 2018. https://www.ktoo.org/2018/11/06/ballot-measure-1-additional-protections-for-salmon-habitats/.
11. “Alaska Conservation Foundation – for the Alaska Ecosystem Defense and Protection Project.” Hewlett Foundation, January 26, 2004. https://hewlett.org/grants/alaska-conservation-foundation-for-the-alaska-ecosystem-defense-and-protection-project/.
12. BIG Online: US Foundation Summary, 2018. http://www.bigdatabase.com/Big-DB/USFoundation-profiles/TRUE NORTH FOUNDATION-742421528.HTML.
13. TheWCS. “Climate Adaptation: WCS Awards $2.5 Million to 13 US Conservation Projects.” EurekAlert!, 2019. https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-02/wcs-caw021219.php.
14. “Alaska Native Fund Announces Grant Opportunities.” Anchorage Daily News. Anchorage Daily News, May 12, 2016. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/article/alaska-native-fund-announces-grant-opportunities/2013/05/21/.
15. EARTHSHARE, IRS e-file Signature Authorization for an Exempt Organization (Form 990), 2016, Form 990, Schedule I, Part II, Contribution of Grants and Other Assistance to Governments and Organizations in the United States, Alaska Conservation Foundation.
16. Alaska Conservation Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Form 990, Schedule I, Part II, Grants and Other Assistance to Domestic Organizations and Domestic Governments.