Alaska Conservation for the Majority Project

Large group of seals resting on rocks in sun, Pribilof Islands by Yva Momatiuk and John Eastcott.

The Alaska Conservation for the Majority Project represents a comprehensive strategy to build a permanent, proactive, in-state constituency for conservation and community vitality—a constituency that represents a majority of Alaskans. This project will achieve a change in awareness, relationship, and communication between today’s and tomorrow’s conservationists and community leaders.

Upon establishing this constituency, there will be major changes in the way conservationists do business in Alaska so that their work is relevant to and credible with the majority of Alaskans. In turn, major changes should also take place in the economic and civic arenas.

Because of its low population (660,000), Alaska provides a great laboratory in which to build a movement to support our environment while meeting economic and community needs. To achieve this paradigm shift, the Conservation for the Majority Project strives to mobilize new constituencies who see Alaska as a special place and identify with what makes it special. It is the conservation community’s challenge to discern how and where Alaskans connect with their environment and to use that knowledge to build public support for a broader movement.

In coordination with key Alaska conservation groups, ACF proposes to:

Build a majority understanding that clean air, fresh water, and intact ecosystems are necessary for building vibrant communities, sustaining traditional cultures, and providing employment
Establish Alaska as a model for building alliances between diverse constituencies to adopt policies and civic behavior resulting in compatible economic, conservation, and cultural objectives.
Engage and train conservationists to better communicate what they do as well as to substantially assure that they are working for positive solutions.
Leverage existing efforts by providing additive support and effective new strategies for current programs and groups.

The objectives of the Conservation for the Majority Project are:

Rebuild the credibility and image of the Alaska conservation community by developing areas of common ground with new partners.
Build a more powerful progressive leadership base.
Create new allies for conservation issues.
Demonstrate that Alaska conservationists are working for positive economic solutions that include job creation and community economic development.
Level the playing field for conservations in the civic arena and media.

Over the past several years, the ACF Board of Trustees and key groups funded by ACF have been involved in thoughtful deliberations to lay the foundation for building a successful in-state conservation base. During this time, ACF and its partner organizations have:

Developed the Guide to Alaska’s Cultures and Guide to Alaska Labor.
Conducted research to identify our strengths and weaknesses and develop a concrete set of strategies for effecting a major change in the civic arena.
Developed a message template and conducted statewide trainings.
Tested pilot projects in message development, public communication, voter education, and issue management.
Developed and published a statewide Economic Vision Plan for Alaska that provides a comprehensive economic blueprint for Alaska’s future.
Gathered state and national civic-engagement experts to craft objectives and strategies.
Established the Renewable Energy Alaska Project, which is an Alaskan version of the New Apollo Project.
Tested our ideas by partnering with engineers and developers.
Conducted a listening post at the Great Alaska Sportsman’s Show.
Hired an experienced strategic services company to critique and refine our plan.