Cultural resources in Alaska are facing many threats due to climate change. Strong rainstorms are eroding streambanks and undermining cultural sites as fast as we can document them. Historic buildings sometimes must be moved to safer ground. Permafrost thaw and coastal storms are eroding long-hidden artifacts and exposing them to looting or being lost to the sea. Ice patches that have protected artifacts from degradation are melting and exposing them to the elements. And wildfire has become more prevalent and has threatened museums and other cultural sites.
Guided by the Department of the Interior’s Restoration and Resilience Framework, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Restoration and Resilience projects in national parks represent broad-scale and impactful resource investments across every corner of our nation—including Alaska. These projects will help build resilience so our park resources will be able to withstand future impacts from climate change or other threats.
Alaska Project Summaries
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- Locations: Denali National Park & Preserve, Katmai National Park & Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve
In the mountains of Alaska’s national parks, melting ice and snow patches are revealing artifacts that contain valuable cultural and historical information. With funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, archeologists are performing high-elevation surveys to find and inventory the artifacts before they degrade from exposure to the elements.
- Locations: Denali National Park & Preserve, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Sitka National Historical Park
As climate change accelerates, national parks in Alaska are developing plans and procedures to protect their museum collections from shifting environmental conditions and future natural disasters.
Last updated: October 18, 2024