Saving Our Past: Planning for Our Future - Alaska's State Historic Preservation Plan (2018-2023)

Introduction: "Alaska is often described in superlatives - of all the states, it is the biggest, wildest, and farthest north. Residents and visitors alike are awed by Denali, the highest peak in North American. They marvel at the Trans-Alaska pipeline, a great engineering feat, and are introduced to some of the oldest archaeological sites in North America. Although people have lived on and used the land for thousands of years, Alaska, in popular imagination, remains the epitome of American wilderness. Alaskans call their home the Last Frontier. By some standards, it is a young frontier - a territory until nearly 60 years ago - but for others it is an ancient place, first inhabited by people who approximately 12,000 years ago, crossed from Asia to the then-unnamed continent of North American. The descendants of these ancient immigrants spread and multiplied and eventually were joined by others - the first from Russia, and later from around the world. The indigenous inhabitants as well as the immigrants that followed left a rich legacy. Alaska's historic preservation community seeks to record and interpret this human history through the physical evidence of the past. To ensure that these important cultural and historic resources are protected and maintained, the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) works with stakeholders to develop and implement a Statewide Historic Preservation Plan and establish a vision and direction for historic preservation efforts in the state. This plan is intended to guide the activities and priorities of agencies and organizations involved in preservation throughout the state. While economics will drive policies and budgets during the planning cycle, this preservation establishes ways the preservation community in Alaska can work to achieve common goals. Vision for Preservation in Alaska: Alaskans respect our collective heritage. We view historic preservation as an essential strategy to promote our communities' unique identities and as an important component of economic, environmental, and social sustainability. Alaskans are empowered with the knowledge and tools needed to advocate for an inclusive approach to preservation that is appropriately balanced with development. Alaska's preservation community includes a network of people from diverse cultures, backgrounds and disciplines. We work in partnership to identify, preserve, protect, and interpret the state's cultural, historic, and archaeological resources ensuring that our heritage is passed on to future generations." Project funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the Alaska Office of History and Archaeology, Department of Natural Resources, administered by the State, Tribal, Local Plans and Grants division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Saving Our Past: Planning for Our Future - Alaska's State Historic Preservation Plan (2018-2023)

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