Alaska Historical Commission
Alaska Historical Commission meeting
Fall Meeting: October 3, 2024
The Alaska Historical Commission will meet via Microsoft Teams on Thursday, October 3, 2024.
The Fall meeting will be from 9 am to 3 pm and is open to the public via Microsoft Teams. Any person or group wishing to address the Commission on issues concerning history or historic preservation is invited to participate in the public comment session. Those wishing to comment by phone or listen to the meeting must make arrangements in advance by calling (907) 269-8714, emailing dnr.oha@alaska.gov, or writing to the Office of History and Archaeology, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, 550 W. Seventh Ave., Suite 1310, Anchorage, AK 99501-3565.
The agenda for this meeting will be posted soon.
Action List AHC Winter Meeting, February 29, 2024
At the Winter meeting on February 29, 2024, the Alaska Historical Commission considered nine CLG grant applications for a total request of $201,875. and 17 Historic Preservation grant applications for a total of $602,940. This round represented an impressive high number of grant requests, and unfortunately, not all could be funded. Below is the complete list of approved grant projects. Congratulations!
List of approved Certified Local Government grant project
City of Cordova: Historic Walking Tour Update - $3,867
City of Ketchikan: Historic Preservation Plan: Phase 2 - $35,000
City of Ketchikan: Pioneer Hall Foundation Stabilization - $50,000
City of Ketchikan: Yates Nomination - $7,200
City of Kodiak: Historic Preservation Plan - $50,000
Municipality of Anchorage: Local Historic Resources Survey Database - $6,000
List of approved Historic Preservation grant projects
Brown & Hawkins Fire Suppression Installation (2nd Phase) - $50,000
Pioneer Hall Foundation Stabilization - $40,000
Japonski Island Boathouse Fire Suppression (2nd Phase) - $45,000
Rapuzzi House (NHL) Restoration - $25,000
Old Saint Nicholas (Eklutna Chapel) Restoration - $50,000
Sentinel Island Lighthouse Rehabilitation - $50,000
Sheldon Jackson (NHL) School Porch, Steps & Walkways - $36,700
Sheldon Jackson (NHL) Sage Hall Turbine Room Rehabilitation - $35,538
Snug Harbor Cannery Historic Building Condition Assessment - $15,000
St. Peter's by the Sea Stone Buttress Repairs - $30,000
Van Gilder Hotel Rehabilitation - $50,000
Geographic Names Reports and Maps
Mount Elliott
AHC members voted to approve the name 6-2, with one absent. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved the new name at its meeting on March 14, 2024.
The Alaska Historical Commission is a forum for citizens' voices in the development of state history policy. Members advise the Governor on programs concerning history and prehistory, historic sites and buildings, and on geographic names. The nine-member commission includes the Lieutenant Governor, three citizens trained in history, architecture, or archaeology, an individual representing Native ethnic groups, two members recommended by the Alaska Historical Society, one member from the general public, and the State Historic Preservation Officer. Responsibilities of the Alaska Historical Commission include:
- Reviewing Alaskan prehistory and history materials now in print
- Identifying gaps in the published coverage of Alaska's past
- Identifying sources of Alaska's history
- Coordinating publication of materials that present all aspects of Alaska's history
- Reviewing nominations to the National Register of Historic Places
- Reviewing and making recommendations on grant proposals for historic preservation projects
- Determining the correct and most appropriate names for Alaska's geographic features
- Serving as the state representatives for Alaska's Geographic Names Program
- Advising the Governor and the Legislature on state policy and programs for the preservation of the state's historic, prehistoric, and archaeological resources
Alaska Historical Commission Members
Nancy Dahlstrom, Lieutenant Governor. Alaska Historical Commission Chair.
Juneau, Alaska
Judith E. Bittner, SHPO. Member per Alaska Statute.
Anchorage, Alaska
Mark Rollins: Meets 36 CFR 61 qualifications for Archaeology.
Anchorage, Alaska
Wayne Jensen: Meets 36 CFR 61 qualifications for Architecture.
Juneau, Alaska
Raymond Bonnell: Alaska Historical Society Designated Seat.
Fairbanks, Alaska
Rebecca Poulson: Alaska Historical Society Designated Seat.
Sitka, Alaska
Forgiveness Kochanowski: Public Member.
Anchorage, Alaska
Jonathon S. Ross: Indigenous Ethnic Group Representative Seat.
Chugiak, Alaska
Dorene Lorenz: Historian Seat.
Juneau, Alaska
Harriet Dinegar Milks: Attorney for Alaska Historical Commission.
Alaska Department of Law
D. Roy Mitchell: Geographic Names Advisor.
Alaska Native Language Preservation & Advisory Council
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."
