West Naknek Archaeological Survey | P19AS00512

Opportunity Information: Apply for P19AS00512

The West Naknek Archaeological Survey grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P19AS00512) is a National Park Service project designed to strengthen the cultural resources inventory for Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The overall goal is to move Katmai closer to a complete accounting of its archaeological and historic properties and to improve what is known about human use of the area over time. By mapping where cultural sites are located and documenting their condition, the park can make better, more informed management decisions about specific places that may be sensitive to visitor impacts, environmental change, or future planning actions.

A major reason this work is needed is the sheer size and limited coverage of prior surveys. Katmai spans roughly 4.25 million acres, and much of that landscape has never been systematically surveyed for historic properties. Earlier archaeological work in Katmai has largely concentrated on the Brooks River area and sections of the Katmai coast along the Shelikof Strait. In contrast, extensive portions of the park interior remain poorly documented, leaving significant gaps in knowledge about how people lived, traveled, and used resources away from the better-known coastal and riverine hubs.

This award specifically supports baseline archaeological inventory work under Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), which requires federal agencies to identify and manage historic properties under their jurisdiction. The survey focus areas are American Creek, Brooks Lake, Headwaters Creek (a tributary of Brooks Lake), and the west end of Naknek Lake, including the park boundary on Pike Ridge. These locations were chosen because they represent important landscape zones that have either seen little systematic survey or face current management pressures. For example, Naknek Lake has not had much structured archaeological coverage, and Brooks Lake and Headwaters Creek have not been surveyed despite being close to the Brooks River Archaeological District, a National Historic Landmark area where significant archaeological resources are already recognized.

Visitor use and associated impacts are also a key driver. American Creek, in particular, has experienced heavy visitor activity, and the opportunity description notes eroded campsites that may be damaging or exposing cultural materials tied to past use of the river corridor. Establishing baseline documentation in places like this helps the park understand what is present, assess whether resources are being affected, and determine what protective measures or visitor-use adjustments might be needed.

In addition to locating and recording sites, the project is intended to improve understanding of pre-contact subsistence and settlement patterns in upland drainages. In practical terms, that means using new field data to better interpret how people organized their lives across inland waterways, lakes, and ridgelines, not just along the most studied corridors. The project also aims to strengthen Katmai's chronological tephra sequence. Tephra layers, created by volcanic ash falls, can act as time markers in sediments and soils, allowing archaeologists to place sites and occupations into relative chronological order. Refining this tephra sequence helps researchers connect archaeological deposits to specific cultural periods and improves the ability to compare sites across the park.

Administratively, this opportunity is structured as a discretionary cooperative agreement under the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. The listed activity categories are Humanities (cultural affairs) and Information and Statistics, reflecting both the cultural heritage emphasis and the data-building nature of inventory work. The award ceiling is $225,000, with one expected award.

Eligibility is effectively limited, because this notice is explicitly a notice of intent to award to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Although the eligible applicant category is public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, the posting states that applications will not be accepted from any other entity. The opportunity was created on August 14, 2019, with an original closing date of August 23, 2019, underscoring that it functioned as a directed award rather than an open competition.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "West Naknek Archaeological Survey" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 14, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 23, 2019 This is a notice of intent to award to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Applications will not be accepted from any other entity.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $225,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for P19AS00512

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