About Americans for Alaska

To defend our nation’s wildest public lands, we invite you to join us as an American for Alaska. You can help protect the last great frontier from very costly development and extraction within parks, forests and wildlife refuges, which belong to us all and lie at the heart of our identity as a people who care about our extraordinary natural environment for current and future generations.

Inspired by remarkable earlier successes, we are forging a coalition even broader than before, with a diverse array of partners drawn by new outreach, to continue to safeguard Alaska’s vital national public lands and waters.

Americans for Alaska is committed to being a catalyst for Alaska conservation, by bringing in new voices, uplifting existing efforts, and creatively connecting efforts throughout our nation, from Alaska to Washington DC.

Hosted by the Alaska Conservation Foundation, Americans for Alaska is a coordinated national effort to keep Alaska at the center of America’s public-lands movement.

We believe Alaska’s irreplaceable landscapes cannot be sacrificed. They belong to all of us—and must be protected for generations to come.

Our Mission

1. Communicate

Through innovative strategies, we tell the story of Alaska: We show why Alaska matters—and what we all stand to lose.

2. Collaborate and coordinate

We Protect Alaska by spotlighting threats, uplifting defenders and enhancing collaboration and coordination with those leading daily, frontline work, supporting impactful actions at all levels of our government.

3. Champions expansion

By effectively reaching out to new American voices, allies and decision-makers, we are expanding the number and depth of champions for Alaska’s protection.

A Brief History

Over four decades ago, recognizing an extraordinary opportunity to protect the remaining intact ecosystems for the nation, a remarkable group of influential leaders formed Americans for Alaska. Working with President Carter, the Alaska Coalition and Congressional champions, Americans for Alaska was instrumental in the passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), by elevating the importance of these lands throughout our country. Nothing like this had ever been done before.

Incorporating 50 million acres already protected, and adding an additional 100 million of new lands to be safeguarded as National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, National Forest Monuments, Wild and Scenic Rivers, Wilderness Areas and more, ANILCA also significantly advanced environmental justice by opening these lands to traditional subsistence hunting and fishing activities for Alaska Natives to nourish and sustain their cultures.

The challenges now and the response

Our country’s national heritage in Alaska is at the center of the current Administration’s bullseye. Virtually every special place within Alaska national public lands has been targeted for extraction and privatization – from the old growth forests in the Tongass National Forest to the entire, sacred and irreplaceable Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Shortly after the election, and anticipating this onslaught, a group of original ANILCA champions (including Larry Rockefeller, Cathy Douglas Stone, Winsome McIntosh, Phil Wise and Kathy Fletcher (Carter Administration), Chuck Clusen, Doug Scott, Deborah Williams and Theodore Roosevelt IV), together with many additional, seasoned, state-based and nationally-based advocates for Alaska (such as Fran Ulmer, John Leshy, Margaret Williams, Michael Barber and Bill Meadows) assembled to re-establish Americans for Alaska.

A Foundation of Success

In our first year,

In our first year, Americans for Alaska:

  • Quickly grew a strong base of thousands of supporters
  • Helped more Americans understand Alaska’s immense value, regions and resource threats
  • Collaborated closely with conservation organizations
  • Advocated as urgent legal policy issues arose that would impact Alaska public lands
  • Worked closely with a range of NGOs to support and coordinate on strong Alaska defense amid ongoing wilderness attacks

Looking ahead

With your help, our next year will deepen and scale this work by:

  • Expanding values-driven, multimedia storytelling to engage more Americans
  • Strengthening partnerships and collaborations with national local, regional and national organizations and priority campaigns
  • Growing a nationwide, impactful movement that understands Alaska’s future is central to America’s environmental future

Alaska’s wildest lands and waters are irreplaceable

With your support, we can protect them from an unprecedented sell-off and ensure they remain wild, healthy, and thriving—for all time.

Act Now