Heritage Newsletter
Monthly news update from the Office of History and Archaeology
State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources
August 2023
IN THIS ISSUE
◇ Office of History and Archaeology
◇ Federal Legislation
◇ Department Of Interior
◇ National Park Service
◇ Bureau of Land Management
◇ Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
◇ National Trust for Historic Preservation
◇ National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers
◇ Museums Alaska
◇ Public project alerts
◇ Heritage subscription information
◇ Preservation calendar
Office of History and Archaeology news
Alaska Maritime Heritage Program
Office of History and Archaeology's new Alaska Maritime Heritage Preservation Program is now soliciting grants, due October 31st. Check our website for information on preservation and education grants. Alaska Maritime Heritage Preservation Program
Interested in applying for a AMHPP grant? OHA highly recommends you attend the September 21, 1pm, learning session on how to apply for a maritime grant. More information here: 10maritimegrantflyer.pdf (alaska.gov)
CLG grants
Alaska's fifteen Certified Local Governments received notification that the CLG historic preservation grant program is open to receive grant proposals. The Office of History & Archaeology anticipates $150,000 will be available to award to eligible projects. The maximum federal share is $50,000, with a 60/40 match. The application deadline is 3:00 pm on October 13, 2023. All projects would need to be completed by December 15, 2024.
AHRS-IBS Retirement
The current AHRS-IBS database will be retired on August 31, 2023. The security software used by the AHRS-IBS is not being renewed. AHRS Users who have not already done so will need to create accounts in the AHRSPortal. All AHRS Users, including state employees, will need to go through the sign-up process. You will either log in with a myAlaska account (all non-state employees) or your state id and password (state employees only).
myAlaska Account
All non-state employees will access the AHRSPortal through myAlaska accounts. myAlaska is an independent state program that serves as a gateway to several online state services. The AHRSPortal will essentially be one of those services. You can review the various links and sign up for a myAlaska account at https://my.alaska.gov/.
While creating a myAlaska account, please familiarize yourself with the myAlaska privacy policies, user agreements, and create/ identify a myAlaska account for use. New myAlaska accounts with your "business" email are recommended but not required. Note that signing up for a myAlaska account and creating an AHRSPortal account are two different steps. However, you must have a myAlaska account (for non-state employees) before creating an AHRSPortal account.
AHRSPortal Sign-Up
All current AHRS-IBS users should sign up (if you have not already done so) for AHRSPortal Access at https://dnr.alaska.gov/ahrsportal. Signing up now will allow the AHRS Staff to work through setting up accounts as time permits over the next few months. As stated above, users will need a myAlaska account (State of Alaska employees use current State id and password). Please locate and have ready your current AHRS User Agreement form as well.
Historic Preservation Training
OHA is cooperating with the National Preservation Institute to bring in-person training to Anchorage. The October training will be held at the Atwood Building in Anchorage. Section 106: Agreement Documents (Oct 24-25) and Traditional Cultural Places (Oct. 26-27). See the calendar section of this newsletter for information on how to register.
Staff News
OHA is recruiting for two Archaeologist 1/2 Flex seasonal positions with its Survey Unit. Apply through Workplace Alaska. Positions will be posted from August 29 through September 19, 2023 (5:00 pm). Please review the posting (HERE).
We are pleased to welcome new staff member, Elyse Applegate, to the Office of History and Archaeology's review/compliance unit as the DOT&PF liaison. Elyse Applegate hails from Louisiana but has lived in Alaska since 2005. She has a BA in Journalism and Public Communications (2008), an MA in Cultural Resource Management (2014), and an MS in Project Management (2022) from the University of Alaska Anchorage. In her spare time, she works on freelance illustration projects and enjoys hiking and camping with her husband, toddler, and dachshund.
While the Office of History and Archaeology staff are working remotely, we recommend people contact staff by email. If you have a general inquiry, a project for review, or state cultural resources investigation permit application please use one of the following email addresses:
General inquiry, geographic names, Alaska Historical Commission, etc.: dnr.oha@alaska.gov
Review/compliance, Section 106, project review: oha.revcomp@alaska.gov
State Cultural Resource Investigation Permits: oha.permits@alaska.gov
Alaska Heritage Resource Survey access, renewals, or submissions: oha.ibs@alaska.gov
The Historic Preservation Fund Program authorization expires September 30, 2023. The bipartisan Historic Preservation Fund Reauthorization Act (H.R.3350), reauthorizes the HPF for 10 years and increases the annual authorization from $150 million to $250 million. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), an independent federal agency tasked with advising the President and Congress on historic preservation issues, sent a letter to congressional leaders in support of the Historic Preservation Fund Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3350).
The current Senate Interior bill includes a provision for a 1-year extension reauthorizing the Historic Preservation Fund. Should this provision remain intact, the program would be reauthorized until September 30th, 2024 at the current funding level of $150 million. The Senate proposal outlines FY24 funding in the amount of $195,166,000 for the Historic Preservation Fund. It proposes funding level with FY23 enacted levels for both SHPO and THPO offices [SHPO $62.150 million and THPO $23 million, respectively]. The Senate has also proposed congressionally directed spending in the amount of $19.766 million (a $9.349 million decrease from enacted FY23 levels). Competitive grant programs are also proposed to remain at level funding, as follows: Save America's Treasures $26.5 million; African American Civil Rights $24 million; Bruhn $12.5 million; HBCU $11 million; Semiquincentennial $10 million; Civil Rights All Americans $5 million; Underrepresented Communities $1.250 million.
If Congress is unable to pass all 12 appropriations bills by January 1, 2024 – a 1% across the board cut would be triggered. This provision was laid out in the debt limit compromise.
Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act (HTC-GO) (H.R. 1785/S.639) has garnered 28 House co-sponsors and 9 Senate co-sponsors. Ongoing Congressional negotiations continue.
Secretary of Interior Standards
Recent efforts have been undertaken to examine the Secretary of the Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Of particular interest to historic preservation work is the application and interpretation of those standards and whether treatment outlined for historic properties remains in line with current goals in our field.
The Secretary of the Interior Professional Qualifications Standards are similarly undergoing review for potential revision.
The Department of the Interior's Office of Acquisition and Property Management announces its work to revise the Secretary of the Interior Professional Qualifications Standards. The latest version was published in 1983, though revisions were proposed in 1997, but not finalized. The Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualification Standards describe in terms of academic attainment, training, and experience minimum professional standards for a number of professional disciplines routinely practicing in historic preservation today.
NPS Grant opportunities:
The National Park Service's African American Civil Rights (AACR) Grant Program is now accepting applications. The goal of the AACR Program is to preserve and protect sites associated with the long struggle for equality from the transatlantic slave trade forward. These grants fund a broad range of preservation projects including physical preservation of historic structures, pre-preservation planning, National Register nominations, oral histories, education and interpretation.
This program is administered by the National Park Service. Congress has appropriated $24,000,000 for this grant program in Fiscal Year 2023. Applications are due October 10, 2023. All applications must be made through Grants.gov. No paper applications will be accepted. Registration in Grants.gov, SAM.gov, and other federal systems can take up to four weeks, so please start early.
More information and applications for AACR History Grants via Grants.gov AACR History - P23AS00471
More information and applications for AACR Preservation Grants via Grants.gov AACR Preservation - P23AS00472
Tribal Historic Preservation Awards
NPS awarded over $603,000 to American Indian Tribes, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiian Organizations. Three Alaskan tribes received awards.
Koniag, Inc. Shuyak Island Archaeological Survey, $74,997
Chickaloon Native Village, Talkeetna Survey, $47,959
Chilkoot Indian Association, Stabilization of the Noow Hit Tribal House, $74,889
Bureau of Land Management news
The BLM is renewing the current BLM Nationwide Programmatic Agreement (NPA), which expires in early 2024. The BLM is hosting two listening sessions to hear what issues, concerns or changes you would like to see considered in a new draft. Here is the registration information:
- Session 1. August 29, Tuesday, 1:00pm-3:00pm MT. Register at
https://blm.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_7W-US1p7SDaC4kSBO_uuVA - Session 2. September 6, Wednesday, 10:00am-12:00pm MT. Register at
https://blm.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_dajsVy4DScGPuBjXnFkkGg
BLM created a website dedicated to the NPA here: https://www.blm.gov/programs/cultural-resource/national-programmatic-agreement-NHPA The BLM hopes to have a draft agreement available for comment by October.
The Bureau of Land Management in Alaska is sharing a great opportunity for a short 20-week internship at the Campbell Creek Science Center located in Anchorage, Alaska. We have an ACE (American Conservation Experience) Member Position open for a Visual Information and Environmental Education Member. Please share with anyone who might be interested in this opportunity! Basic Information below. For more Information & to apply click here.
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation news
President Biden appointed three new members to the Advisory Council of Historic Preservation. Chair Sara Bronin administered the oath of office to new members: Governor Member John Carney of Delaware, term ending June 2025, and Expert Members, Frank G. Matero of Delaware and Charles L. Ward III, of California, terms ending June 2027.
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) is now recruiting for the position of Equity Officer (GG-14) in Washington, DC. The ACHP is an independent federal agency that promotes the preservation, enhancement, and sustainable use of our nation's diverse historic resources, and advises the President and the Congress on national historic preservation policy.
The Equity Officer is an important new position in the ACHP's Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs. The Equity Officer will provide advice and assistance to the ACHP regarding equity and environmental justice issues as the agency works to promote the preservation of historic properties, particularly in non-tribal undeserved communities. They also will help the ACHP in ensuring diversity and equity in the ACHP workplace. Applicants must have diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility expertise. Knowledge of cultural resources and historic preservation would be beneficial, though not required.
Training:
The ACHP has compiled news, background information, examples, and other program resources on its website, in order to help agencies, federal applicants, SHPOs, Indian tribes, and other Section 106 participants carry out reviews of infrastructure projects on federal property or those involving federal assistance. Resources include:
HTTPS://WWW.ACHP.GOV/106_TOOLKIT_FOR_INFRASTRUCTURE and
HTTPS://WWW.ACHP.GOV/BROADBAND_AND_106
National Trust for Historic Preservation news
National Trust Preservation Funds Grant Program: Accepting Applications
The next round of the National Preservation Fund is now open. Enhance your efforts to save the historic places within our community—participate in the National Trust Preservation Funds grant program. This annual program supports local preservation organizations' efforts to preserve and protect important places in their communities. Funding ranges from $2,500 to $5,000 and supports preservation planning and educational projects. The next deadline is October 1.
Grant projects have included engineering and architectural consulting services; tours that are accessible via smart devices; and market studies to assist in prioritizing preservation objectives.
For more information, visit https://savingplaces.org/grants or contact Grants@savingplaces.org.
Peter H. Brink Leadership Fund grants (up to $2,500) for travel costs and mentor honoraria are available for Organization Level Forum or Main Street America members of the National Trust. The purpose of these grants is to support the leadership and effectiveness of staff and board members of preservation organizations through individualized mentoring and the sharing of expertise. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. For more information go to forum@savingplaces.org
National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers news
NATHPO invites tribes and native organizations to stay current on important happenings using their new Calendar of Events. They have job listings, Community Job Board, and listing of relevant Grant Opportunities.
Museums Alaska's second grant cycle for the Access to Alaska Native Collections (AANC) grant will close Friday, September 8, 2023.
If you are an applicant and have any questions about the grant, you can reach out to grants@museumsalaska.org. Either Dixie Clough, the director of Museums Alaska, or Sabena Allen, our AANC Grant Assistant, will respond to you.
This program responds to the needs of the Alaska Native community for access to collections in museums by supporting research visits to museum collections storage in Alaska. As such, Alaska Native artists and culture bearers are invited to propose a visit to a participating museum's collection that has a clear benefit to the development of their work.
This grant will cover travel costs for the collections visit such as flights, ferries, mileage, per diem, lodging, parking, taxis, and family care needs.
Public Projects Alert
Section 106 large project consultation in progress:
Bureau of Land Management
National Programmatic Agreement
Johnson River Bridge
Memorandum of Agreement
West Susitna Access Road
Safer Seward Highway
Mendenhall Glacier Visitors Center Rehabilitation
Programmatic Agreement
Glenn Highway Corridor
Programmatic Agreement
NPS Climate Change at Dyea
Programmatic Agreement
For information on how to participate in the process, or on how to review and comment on the above projects, contact Sarah Meitl, sarah.meitl@alaska.gov.
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 by e-mail to dnr.oha@alaska.gov, mail to 550 West 7th Ave., Suite 1310, Anchorage, Alaska 99501-3565, or telephone 907.269.8700.
All issues are posted to our web site at dnr.alaska.gov/parks/oha 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 dnr.oha@alaska.gov with "Heritage, subscribe" in the subject line.
If you do not wish to continue to receive Heritage, please send an e-mail to dnr.oha@alaska.gov with "Heritage, unsubscribe" in the subject line.
Preservation Calendar
2023
SEPTEMBER
September 6-9 AASLH Annual Conference, Boise, Idaho. 2023 Annual Conference Session Proposal Deadline Approaching: Accepting session proposals for the 2023 conference. The deadline is Friday, December 9. Learn more about the conference and submit a session proposal.
OCTOBER
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October 5-8 Alaska Historical Society Annual Conference, Kenai, Alaska
2023 Conference Information - Alaska Historical Society
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October 6-7 American Institute of Architects, Alaska 2023 Conference, Juneau, Alaska
2023AIAAKConference | AIA Alaska Conference -
October 9-14 Association of Preservation Technology Conference "The Future of Tech" Seattle, WA.
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October 24-25 National Preservation Institute in-person seminar
Section 106: Agreement Documents
Instructor:Claudia Nissley
October 24-25, 2023 - Anchorage, AK
Two-day in-person seminar, offered in conjunction with Traditional Cultural Places, in cooperation with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Office of History & Archaeology/State Historic Preservation Office
This advanced seminar focuses on memoranda of agreement and programmatic agreements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Learn how to survive and thrive during the agreement process through careful analysis, clear writing, and good negotiation. Review the available tools, guidelines, alternatives-and non-alternatives-to reach a favorable conclusion to the process. Read detailed agenda
Section 106: Agreement Documents
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October 26-27 National Preservation Institute in-person seminar
Traditional Cultural Places
Instructor: Claudia Nissley
October 26-27, 2023 - Anchorage, AK
Two-day in-person seminar, offered in conjunction with Section 106: Agreement Documents, in cooperation with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Office of History & Archaeology/State Historic Preservation Office
"Traditional cultural places" (TCPs) play an important role in community cultural traditions, beliefs, and activities. TCPs must be considered in planning under the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, Executive Orders 12898 and 13007, and other authorities. Review methods of identifying TCPs, discuss evaluation for National Register eligibility, and explore management issues. Read detailed agenda
Traditional Cultural Places
NOVEMBER
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November 8-10 PastForward conference, Preserving Place, Empowering Community, in Washington, D.C. Learn more about PastForward 2023 rates and check out the conference schedule for November 8-10.
2024
JULY
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July 31- August 4 - National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC), NAPC FORUM 2024, West Palm Beach, FL., Save the Date. National conference focused on issues facing local historic preservation commissions. NAPC FORUM
National Preservation Institute provides continuing education and professional training in historic preservation and cultural resource management throughout the year. For training options go to: www.npi.org For information contact Jere Gibber, Executive Director, info@npi.org
Mission Statement
"The Alaska Office of History and Archaeology (OHA) and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) provide programs to encourage the preservation and protection of the archaeological, historic, and architectural resources of Alaska."
