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Heritage Newsletter

May 2013

Monthly news update from the Office of History and Archaeology State of Alaska,
Department of Natural Resources


IN THIS ISSUE
Federal funding of state historic preservation programs
The Obama Administration proposed its FY 14 budget in April. It includes $46.925 million for state historic preservation offices and $8.985 for tribal historic preservation offices; level funding for the programs. There is an additional $3 million requested for a competitive grant project to states and tribes for survey and nomination to the National Register of Historic Places properties associated with underrepresented populations such as Latinos and Asian-Americans. For Heritage Areas, funded from the National Recreation and Preservation Account, the administration’s budget proposes $9 million. Pre-sequester funding for Heritage Areas was $17 million. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation is proposed to be funded at $6.531 million, a 7% increase that partially restores a 10% reduction made last year.

The House of Representatives Historic Preservation Caucus co-chaired by Mike Turner (Republican-Ohio) and Rush Holt (Democrat-New Jersey) sent a FY 14 Historic Preservation Fund “Dear Colleague” appropriations letter. The letter requests FY 14 funding for state and tribal historic preservation offices at the levels prior to sequestration, $46.9 and $8.9 respectively.

A similar letter in the Senate, with the addition of endorsing appropriating $3 million for grants for survey and documentation of historic resources important to underrepresented populations, is being sponsored by Kirsten Gillibrand (Democrat-New York) and Ben Cardin (Democrat-Maryland). The Senate’s letter will be sent to, among others, Alaska’s Senator Lisa Murkowski as she is the ranking member of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Committee. As always, it is important for constituents to let Alaska’s congressional delegation know how historic preservation has a positive economic impact and creates jobs along with saving America’s heritage.


Annual atlatl fun and throw scheduled for May 4
The Alaska Office of History and Archaeology and the Alaska Native Heritage Center are holding the 15th annual atlatl fun and throw from 12-5 p.m., Saturday, May 4, 2013. Activities include using atlatl darts to hunt a rhino or wooly mammoth and hunting a seal from a kayak. For additional information contact Richard VanderHoek at 907.269.8728 / richard.vanderhoek@alaska.gov.


Alaska Historical Commission meets May 23-24 at Seward
The Alaska Historical Commission is meeting Thursday-Friday, May 23-24, 2013, at the new public library and museum in Seward. The agenda includes discussion of historic preservation and research in the Seward area. Members will talk more about the upcoming anniversary of the end of the Cold War and be updated on efforts to update and add to Alaska history educational materials. Commission members will also review five applications from Certified Local Governments for historic preservation projects and five proposals to name or correct names for geographic features in the state. For more information and an agenda contact Jo Antonson at 907.269.8714 / jo.antonson@alaska.gov.


National Historic Preservation Month activities in Anchorage
See! Save! Celebrate! is the theme for National Historic Preservation Month 2013. Anchorage has several activities planned to call attention to the value of historic preservation for communities and to the role of history in peoples’ lives. The Alaska Association for Historic Preservation is hosting a “Run for Oscar – Historic Oscar Anderson House” from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, May 4. After the two-mile run or walk there will be refreshments. Details are available at aahp-online.net.  On Sunday, May 5, there is a History Day Celebration from 1-3 p.m. at the Pioneer Schoolhouse, to honor Anchorage students who had winning essays in the statewide History Day competition.  For more information about History Day contact Darrell Lewis, 907.644.3470. And on Saturday, May 18, from 2-4 p.m., there will be an open house and book signing of Government Hill Yesterday and Today: An oral history of life on Government Hill as told through the people that lived it, at 349 W. Harvard Avenue. To attend the open house, please RSVP to 907.343.7993.


Two recent Alaska listings in the National Register of Historic Places
The Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places added the Campbell House to the nation’s list of properties worthy of preservation on April 3, 2013, and the Cape Alitak Petroglyphs District on April 9, 2013.

The Campbell House, built in 1935, is one of few Matanuska Colony wood-frame farmhouses retaining historic and physical integrity. Of the over two hundred farmhouses constructed, approximately 75 were of frame construction; the others of log or partial-log construction. The 1½ story farmhouse stands 2½ miles south of downtown Palmer. It joins other farmhouses, farms, the administrative center, and a related business listed as part of the multiple-property National Register listing for the New Deal Matanuska Colony resettlement project. Shortly after they arrived in May 1935 colonists drew lots for farms, and George and Onabelle Campbell from Michigan drew lot number 54. They moved into the house in late fall, but left the project that first year. William and Lulubelle Bouwens and eight of their eleven children moved to the farm in 1938 after a fire destroyed their house on lot 53.  They kept cows, chickens, pigs, geese, sheep and turkeys and had a big vegetable garden. They sold produce and eggs, and later Bouwens was a U.S. Deputy Marshal.  The family recently sold the house, and the new owners, Darrin and Sheri Hamming, used the federal historic preservation tax incentives to rehabilitate the house and open it as a bed-and-breakfast.

The Cape Alitak Petroglyphs District is the most comprehensive collection of prehistoric rock art documented to date in Alaska. The incised rocks, some determined to be 1,500 years old, have considerable research value to provide information important to understanding the ancient people of the Gulf of Alaska. The art illustrates animals important to early people; documents components of daily life including personal adornment, material culture, hunting practices, and ceremonial life; and might reveal information on ancient ideology. The rock art was produced with a finely executed pecked technique. Archaeological data indicates the area was a locus of prehistoric settlement from about 1000 BC to AD 1700. The petroglyphs have been studied and photographed for more than a century, but only systematically surveyed and inventoried in the last five years providing the data to document the district for listing in the National Register.


Judy Bittner and Shina duVall part of team recognized by Governor
Governor Sean Parnell selected the interagency team that successfully worked on the permit for oil and gas development at Point Thomson to receive the 2013 Governor’s Denali Peak Performance Award for exceptional performance. Judy Bittner, State Historic Preservation Officer, and Shina duVall, Review and Compliance Program Manager / Archaeologist were among the team members. The team included 23 people from the departments of Natural Resources, Environmental Conservation, Fish and Game, and Law. Congratulations for recognition of a job well done!


Heritage Preservation promotes emergency response planning with MayDay program
Heritage Preservation encourages preservation organizations and historic building owners along with libraries, museums, archives, and historical societies to participate in MayDay. The program promotes annual review and testing of emergency disaster response plans and procedures. This year, any cultural institution submitting a brief description of its 2013 MayDay plans or accomplishments by May 31, 2013, will be entered in a drawing for disaster supplies donated by Gaylord Brothers. For project ideas and more information about the program, visit http://www.heritagepreservation.org/PROGRAMS/TFlessons/MayDay.html.


Advisory Council on Historic Preservation updates
The Advisory Council and the Council on Environmental Quality completed NEPA and NHPA, A Handbook for Integrating NEPA and Section 106. The handbook is to assist federal planners and Section 106 and NEPA practitioners improve the integration of NEPA analysis and documentation and Section 106 compliance. It is also to help stakeholders and members of the public better understand the opportunities for input and participation in federal decision making. The agencies will be offering training on the guidance. The handbook can be accessed at: http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/publications/nepa-handbooks.html.

With the Federal Highway Administration, the Advisory Council has posted guidance on implementing the Program Comment for Common Post-1945 Concrete and Steel Bridges. The FHWA web page, http://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/histpres/bridges.asp, has a series of questions and answers to help when implementing the Program Comment. It includes illustrations of the common types of bridges addressed by the Program Comment.


National Park Service seeks award nominations
The Heritage Documentation Programs (Historic American Buildings Survey, Historic American Engineering Record, Historic American Landscapes Survey) are seeking nominations for the Charles E. Peterson and Leicester B. Holland prizes. The Peterson Prize annually recognizes the best sets of architectural measured drawings by college students for the HABS Collection at the Library of Congress. The entry deadline is July 1, 2013. The Holland Prize recognizes the best single sheet drawing of a site appropriate for including in the HABS, HAER or HALS Collections at the Library of Congress by students or professionals. The entry deadline is May 31, and forms deadline is July 1, 2013. More information about the prizes and the application procedures is at www.nps.gov/history/hdp/.


Society for Commercial Archeology seeks nominations for its annual endangered list
The Society for Commercial Archeology is soliciting nominations for its annual most endangered properties list: “Falling by the Wayside: The Ten Most Endangered Roadside Places. The nomination deadline is May 15, 2013. To nominate a place, the form can be found at http://sca-roadside.org/falling-by-the-wayside.


New system to apply for jobs with the State of Alaska
The State of Alaska has new hiring system software. Individuals interested in State of Alaska jobs can start creating new registrations and applications. If you have an applicant profile from the old system, you have until June 30, 2013 to copy it to the new system. The new system continues the former name, Workplace Alaska and website address, http://workplace.alaska.gov.


PUBLIC PROJECT ALERTS:
Department of Natural Resources, Bristol Bay Area Plan Amendment and Determination of Reclassification, http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/planning/areaplans/bristol/amend
            Public comment deadline
                        May 6
            Contact:  Bruce Phelps, 907.269.8534 / fax 907.269.8915 / dnr.bbapamend@alaska.gov

Alaska Railroad Corporation / Northern Rail Extension Project, Tanana River Crossing, www.northernrailextension.com
            Open house, Salcha Elementary School
                        May 15, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Alaska Railroad Corporation / Port MacKenzie Rail Extension Project
            Updated project information:  www.portmacrail.com

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission / Alaska Energy Authority, Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project
            Project information:  www.susitna-watanahydro.org/


Heritage Subscription Information
Heritage is produced by the Office of History and Archaeology, Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, Alaska Department of Natural Resources.; Please send your comments, suggestions, and information via e-mail to jo.antonson@alaska.gov, mail to 550 West 7th Ave., Suite 1310, Anchorage, Alaska 99501-3565, or telephone 907.276.8721.

All issues are posted to our web site at www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/ and distributed to subscribers by e-mail.  A paper copy can be sent to individuals and organizations that specifically request it.

To be added to the subscription list, please send an e-mail to oha@alaska.net with “Heritage, subscribe” in the subject line.

If you do not wish to continue to receive Heritage, please send an e-mail to oha@alaska.net with “Heritage, unsubscribe” in the subject line.



Preservation Calendar

MAY
  • April 30-May 4 - Council on Geographic Names Authorities (COGNA) 36th conference:  Geographic Names: Cartography, Publication, and Local Issues, Minneapolis, MN (Wayne Furr, twfurr@cogna50use.org)
  • May 2-4 - US/ICOMOS 16th annual international scientific symposium: The Historic Center and the Next City: Envisioning Urban Heritage Evolution, Savannah, GA (usicomos.org/scad.edu/programs/building-arts)
  • May 4 - Office of History and Archaeology and Alaska Native Heritage Center: 15th Annual Alaska Atlatl Fun and Throw, Anchorage (Richard VanderHoek, 907.269.8728 / richard.vanderhoek@alaska.gov)
  • May 4 - Alaska Association for Historic Preservation: Run for Oscar, Anchorage (aahp-online.net)
  • May 5 - National Park Service: History Day celebration, Anchorage (Darrell Lewis, 907.644.3470 / darrell_lewis@nps.gov)
  • May 7-9 - National Center for Preservation Technology and Training:  Paint analysis for historic buildings workshop, Natchitotches, LA (NCPTT, 318.356.7444 / ncptt@nps.gov)
  • May 8-11 - Alaska Veterans Museum and Russian-American Colony Singers, Alaska World War II Remembrance Day, 70th anniversary commemoration, Anchorage and Fairbanks (Suellyn Novak, missfiresioux2@yahoo.com)
  • May 9 - Alaska, the World and Wally Hickel production broadcast premiere, Alaska Public Media (Ken Mandel, kmandel@greatprojects.com)
  • May 9 (or May 14) - Advisory Council on Historic Preservation webinar: Innovative Approaches to Section 106 Mitigation (www.achp.gov/sec106webinar.html / webinar@achp.gov )
  • May 15 - Society for Commercial Archeology, “Falling by the Wayside: The Ten Most Endangered Roadside Places,” nomination deadline ( http://sca-roadside.org/falling-by-the-wayside)
  • May 15-18 North American Society for Oceanic History 2013 annual conference:  Maritime Borderlands and Cultural Landscapes, Alpena, MI (Cathy Green, 989.356.8805 ext. 10 / cathy.green@noaa.gov)
  • May 18 - Government Hill open house and book signing, Anchorage (907.343.7993)
  • May 21-22 - The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership 2013 Annual Conference with symposium:  More Bang for the Buck: Tools for Sustainable Growth and Heritage Tourism, Gettysburg, PA (Esther Turner, 540.882.4929 / esther@ithg.org)
  • May 21-22 - Traditional Building Conference Series:  Windows:  Old and New, Traditional and Historic, Washington, D.C.  (Judy L. Hayward, 802.674.6752 / jhayward@restoremedia.com )
  • May 23-24 - Alaska Historical Commission meeting, Seward (Jo Antonson, 907.269.8714 / jo.antonson@alaska.gov) Agenda
  • May 30-June 2 - Society for Industrial Archeology 42nd annual conference, St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN ( ectimms@siahq.org


  • JULY
  • July 10-11 - National Center for Preservation Training and Technology:  Fountain Fundamentals Conference, Kansas City, MO (http://ncptt.nps.gov/fountain-fundamentals/)
  • July 24-26 - Sharing Cultures 2013 – 3rd International Conference on Intangible Heritage, Aveiro, Portugal (Secretariat, +351.253.815.037 / sc2013@greenlines-institute.org)


  • SEPTEMBER
  • September 9-11 - International Map Collectors’ Society:  symposium 2013, Fairbanks, AK (Northern Studies Department and Elmer E. Rasmuson Library)
  • September 10 - National Preservation Institute:  Renewable Energy Development:  Impacts on Cultural Resources, Anchorage, AK (Jere Gibber, 703.765.0100 / info@npi.org)
  • September 11-12 - National Preservation Institute:  NEPA Compliance and Cultural Resources, Anchorage, AK (Jere Gibber, 703.765.0100 / info@npi.org)
  • September 13 - National Preservation Institute:  CERCLA and NHPA Compliance for Superfund Sites, Anchorage, AK (Jere Gibber, 703.765.0100 / info@npi.org)
  • September 18-21 - American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) annual meeting: Turning Points: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Change, Birmingham, AL (Bob Beatty, 615.320.3203 / beatty@aaslh.org)
  • September 25-28 - Alaska Historical Society / Museums Alaska annual meetings, Haines, AK (Alaska Historical Society, 907.276.1596 / akhist@gci.net)


  • OCTOBER
  • October 6-10 - International Museum Theatre Alliance 2013 Global Conference:  Evolving the Story, Innovation in Today’s Museum Theatre, Washington, DC.
  • October 8-10 - National Center for Preservation Technology and Training:  International Cemetery Preservation Summit, Niagara Falls, NY (NCPTT, 318.356.7444 / ncptt@nps.gov)
  • October 17-19 - Center for the Study of the First Americans, Texas A&M University: The Paleoamerican Odyssey Conference, Santa Fe, NM (Laurie Lind, 979.845.4046 / csfa@tamu.edu)


  • NOVEMBER
  • November 7-10 - Sharing Our Knowledge:  A Conference of Tlingit Tribes and Clans, Juneau, AK (clanconference@gmail.com / http://ankn.uaf.edu/ClanConference2)
  • November 11-13 - 18th International Conference on Cultural Heritage and New Technologies 2013:  Documenting the Data, Vienna, Austria (Wolfgang Borner, +43 (0)1 4000 81176 /  wolfgang boerner@stadtarchaeologie.at)


  • 2014
  • July 17-20 - National Alliance of Preservation Commissions Forum 2014, Philadelphia, PA (Cory Kegerise, 215.219.3824 / ckegerise@pa.gov)


  • Last updated on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.
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