Alaska Natural Heritage Program

Alaska Natural Heritage Program (AKNHP) is integrated within the Alaska Center for Conservation Science (ACCS). AKNHP collects, synthesizes, and validates information on Alaska’s animal and plant species of conservation concern and their habitats, ecosystems of conservation concern, and invasive species. We provide this information to government, business, land managers, scientists, conservation groups, and the public. Additionally, we help organizations develop conservation plans. AKNHP is one of more than 75 independent heritage programs in the Natural Heritage Network, which includes Heritage Programs in all 50 U.S. states and Conservation Data Centres in most Canadian provinces and many Latin American countries. We use a shared NatureServe protocol to track and rank rare species and habitats. AKNHP became part of the University of Alaska Anchorage in 1993, residing in the College of Arts of Sciences. In 2015, AKNHP joined the newly formed Alaska Center for Conservation Science (ACCS).