Performance Details

Department of Natural Resources - Office of History and Archaeology

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Mission

The Office of History and Archaeology provides an historic preservation program to encourage the preservation and protection of the historic, prehistoric and archaeological resources of Alaska.

Core Services

• Identify, document, evaluate, and protect historic sites and buildings through application of historic preservation guidelines, standards and regulations to ensure state and federal actions take into account impacts to historic properties.
• Maintain statewide inventory of historic, archaeological and prehistoric sites (Alaska Heritage Resource Survey) and provide guidance, training and access to site information.

Mission Results

Core Services

A: Historic properties are protected through historic preservation programs that identify, document, protect, and restore historic sites and buildings.  Details >

A1: Identify, document, evaluate, and protect historic sites and buildings through application of historic preservation guidelines, standards and regulations to ensure state and federal actions take into account impacts to historic properties.  Details > TARGET #1: Review and comment on projects within 30 days of receipt of projects ready for review. TARGET #2: Enter into four new historic preservation agreements per quarter. Maintain and monitor existing agreements. A2: Maintain statewide inventory of historic, archaeological and prehistoric sites (Alaska Heritage Resource Survey) and provide guidance, training and access to site information.  Details > TARGET #1: Maintain statewide database of site locations, description information, and digital documents for use by agencies, project planners, and researchers.

Performance Detail

Target #1: Review and comment on projects within 30 days of receipt of projects ready for review. Methodology: Total Projects Reviewed within 30 days. The 2020 numbers reflect the first three quarters of the calendar year, though September 30, 2020. Year Total Projects Reviewed within 30 days 2020 1622 2019 2157 2018 1933 2017 1,817 2016 2,234 2015 2,384 2014 2,380 2013 2,137 Projects Reviewed Within 30 Days Year Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 YTD Total 2020 588 +7.89% 505 -26.06% 529 +10.44% 0 -100% 1622 -24.8% 2019 545 +6.03% 683 +29.36% 479 +5.04% 450 +16.58% 2157 +14.49% 2018 514 -5.34% 528 -8.01% 456 +17.83% 386 +23.32% 1884 +3.69% 2017 543 -21.42% 574 +5.32% 387 -1.02% 313 -40.15% 1817 -15.49% 2016 691 -4.03% 545 -17.67% 391 +4.27% 523 -1.51% 2150 -6.03% 2015 720 +26.54% 662 +6.77% 375 -11.56% 531 +7.49% 2288 +8.59% 2014 569 -19.29% 620 -3.88% 424 +13.07% 494 +36.09% 2107 +0.91% 2013 705 645 375 363 2088 Analysis of results and challenges: The Office of History and Archaeology (OHA) tracks response times for projects submitted for review under federal National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 (54 U.S.C. 306108) authorities and state authorities under AS 41.35 for concurrence with determinations of eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places or Alaska Landmarks Register, findings of effect on historic properties or recommendations for survey and identification. Federal regulation 36 CFR 800 gives the State Historic Preservation Office 30 days to respond to federal requests for concurrence with determinations of eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places and findings of effect of federal undertakings on historic properties. OHA strives to respond to these and other steps in the review process within 30 days. However, in March 2020 the Alaska State Historic Preservation Office entered tolling for Section 106 project reviews in response to COVID-19 and the challenges of teleworking. With tolling, the SHPO 30 day comment requirement is suspended. In 2020, during the first three quarters (January 1- September 30), OHA reviewed and commented on 1,726 projects, with 1,622 (94%) reviewed and responded to within 30 days. Between 2013 and 2019, OHA reviewed and commented on 14,491 projects, with 95% to 96% reviewed within 30 days. Projects requiring more than thirty days for review are usually large, complex projects with the potential to adversely affect historic properties. These projects often require additional consultation with tribes, interested parties and communities. Agreement documents, such as programmatic agreements are often developed for large projects during the NEPA and Section 106 processes. Programmatic agreements and memorandum of agreements involve consultation between agencies, the State Historic Preservation Office, tribes, communities and interested public and may take several months to complete.

Target #2: Enter into four new historic preservation agreements per quarter. Maintain and monitor existing agreements. Methodology: New historic preservation agreement documents and substantive amendments to existing agreements during calendar year: Memorandums of Agreement and Programmatic Agreements Historic Preservation Agreement Documents: Programmatic Agreements and Memorandum of Agreements Year Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 YTD Total 2020 0 8 8 0 16 2019 4 3 4 2 13 2018 3 1 2 5 11 2017 5 12 2 3 22 2016 2 7 2 1 12 2015 4 6 3 3 16 2014 5 8 5 5 18 2013 6 5 3 3 17 2012 5 5 6 3 19 2011 0 0 6 2 8 Analysis of results and challenges: Agreement documents are an important tool in streamlining the historic preservation environmental compliance process and are used to modify the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106 project review process for large and complex projects or ongoing agency operations. Agreement documents also address mitigation of adverse effects a project may have on historic properties and allow for a project to move forward once mitigation is agreed to and documented in a memorandum of agreement or a programmatic agreement. Large project Programmatic Agreements signed in 2020 include AKLNG pipeline project, Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program, Ambler Mining District Industrial Access Road and Grant Lake Hydro.

Target #1: Maintain statewide database of site locations, description information, and digital documents for use by agencies, project planners, and researchers. Methodology: Site data entered or updated in Alaska Heritage Resource Survey. Alaska Heritage Resource Survey Data Entered or Updated Year Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 YTD Total 2020 6,948 9,521 11,643 0 0 2019 7,779 5,178 5,649 4,526 23,132 2018 3,135 3,901 3,408 4,320 14,764 2017 3,758 2,860 6,660 3,170 16,448 2016 7,618 6,233 4,416 4,713 22,980 2015 7,640 7,555 6,306 5,396 26,897 2014 5,991 6,870 6,715 5,866 25,442 2013 3,083 3,902 3,040 3,398 13,423 2012 1,932 1,328 1,529 5,018 9,807 2011 569 574 619 1,007 2,769 2010 1,931 695 1,449 847 4,922 Analysis of results and challenges: The statewide inventory of historic, prehistoric, and archaeological sites is maintained under state and federal authorities. Data entered in the Alaska Heritage Resource Survey (AHRS) comes from external sources: agencies, land managers, communities, tribes and others submit survey reports to the Office of History and Archaeology. Site data contained within the cultural resource survey reports and other cultural resource documents are entered in the AHRS database. As the database system continues to be developed, data entry has become more efficient. To protect sites against unauthorized disturbance and vandalism, access to AHRS and related information is closed to the general public and controlled through user agreements. Access protocols and guidelines are set in the Office of History and Archaeology's Data Access Policies and Guidelines. In FY2021, there were 359 individual and 16 corporate users. As of June 30, 2020, there were 48,647 AHRS site records. Digitization of documents associated with the sites reached 18,500 records in the Document Repository and 18,908 digitized investigation records in the database as of June 30, 2020.

Current as of November 19, 2020