1. Fort Wainwright, Alaska Environmental Officer Course 2011
Cultural Resources
Fort Wainwright, Alaska
Environmental Officer Course
2011
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2. Name//office/phone/email address
CULTURAL RESOURCES
Outline
FWA History
Regulations
USAG FWA’s Cultural Resources
Responsibilities
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3. FWA’s Historic Importance
CULTURAL RESOURCES
FWA’s Historic Importance
Fort Wainwright began as Ladd Field in It was a Cold Weather Test Detachment built to test military planes and gear in a subarctic environment.
Though they successfully conducted cold-weather testing throughout the 1940s, Ladd Field quickly took on new globally important missions as World War II began. During the war, Ladd Field was a transportation depot, a staging field for the Aleutian campaigns and a commercial air center, but most importantly, as early as 1942, Ladd Field began to support the Lend Lease operations. The United States agreed to send the Soviet Union planes and other supplies to fight the Nazis on the Russian front. Ladd Field was the main transfer point of the Lend Lease’s Northwest Staging Route. American pilots would ferry planes from Montana using small airfields constructed in Canada and Alaska. At Ladd Field, the American planes would be winterized, painted with the Soviets’ red star and given to Soviet pilots to continue the journey to the Russian front. Between 1942 and 1945, 7,926 planes were transferred to Russian pilots at Ladd Field. To facilitate the transfer, more than 300 Russians were stationed at Ladd Field throughout the war.
After World War II, Ladd Field was transferred to the newly formed Air Force, and this military installation which had been an example of American-Russian cooperation during WWII became one of the first outposts of the Cold War. Reconnaissance squadrons flew missions gathering information on the Soviet Union, while fighter squadrons were assigned to Ladd Field to protect the state from potential Russian invasion. In 1961, Ladd Field Air Force Base was transferred to the Army and renamed Fort Wainwright.
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4. FWA’s Prehistoric Importance
CULTURAL RESOURCES
FWA’s Prehistoric Importance
The current archaeological record on USAG FWA’s managed lands represents all of the recognized prehistoric cultures of the Alaskan Interior. Sites in the Donnelly Training Area contribute to scientific understanding of the Denali Complex of the American Paleoarctic Tradition, one of the oldest archaeological components in Alaska (12,000 years before present). The American Paleoarctic Tradition can be traced back to its origins in Siberia more than 15,000 years before present.
This archaeological record offers excellent potential to contribute to our knowledge of prehistoric land use patterns and potentially contribute to a broader regional prehistoric context.
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5. Name//office/phone/email address
CULTURAL RESOURCES
Regulations
National legislation directs federal agencies, including the Army, to manage cultural resources while performing their missions
National Historic Preservation Act
Archaeological Resources Protection Act
Native American Graves and Repatriation Act
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6. National Historic Preservation Act Section 106
CULTURAL RESOURCES
National Historic Preservation Act Section 106
NHPA’s Section 106 requires review of all proposed federal actions which could potentially affect historic properties.
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the state historic preservation officer, interested groups and Alaska Native tribes have the opportunity to participate in this review and consultation.
Historic properties are defined as those which meet criteria for the National Register of Historic Places.
Preservation is not mandated by law, but consultation is required and adverse effects to historic properties generally must be mitigated.
National Register eligibility:
A property must be linked with a significant historic context, meet one of the criteria listed below, and possess “integrity”—the essential physical features which represent or illustrate the historic significance.
A. Be associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or
B. Be associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or
C. Embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represent the work of a master, or possess high artistic values, or represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction (i.e., a historic district); or
D. Have yielded, or be likely to yield, material information important in prehistory or history.
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7. Archeological Resources Protection Act
CULTURAL RESOURCES
Archeological Resources Protection Act
Artifact collection and site disturbance can result in large scale theft of public heritage. Archaeological sites are damaged whenever arrowheads, flakes, bone fragments and other artifacts are disturbed or remove. Scientist can learn from archaeological sites when artifacts are in an original context - that is, the placement of each artifact and its relationship with other artifacts and soils. When artifacts are removed or soil disturbed, information is lost forever.
Theft of artifacts from public lands is illegal. ARPA specifically prescribes criminal penalties and possible jail time for persons found intentionally damaging or removing archaeological material from federal lands.
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8. Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
CULTURAL RESOURCES
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
Cultural sites may possess great significance for many Alaska Natives. It is important to respect the past and the living cultures that hold such sites to be significant. Burials are specifically protected under NAGPRA.
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9. Cultural Resources include:
Archaeological Sites
Historic Buildings and Structures
Historic Objects
Traditional Cultural Properties
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10. FWA’s Cultural Resources Name//office/phone/email address
Ladd Field National Historic Landmark (World War II)
Ladd Air Force Base Historic District (Cold War)
Over 650 Archaeological Sites
The USAG-AK cultural resources program supports the military mission by inventorying and managing cultural resources in a manner that:
Complies with federal law
Minimizes impacts on the mission
Supports sustainability of resources and infrastructure
While meeting that mission, the goal of USAG-AK cultural resources management is to provide sound stewardship of resources that are eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
UNCLASSIFIED
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11. FWA’s Cultural Resources Program
Project Review (Section 106 compliance)
Historic property inventories
Management plans
Mitigation oversight
Re mitigation role:
Consult and develop mitigation agreements
Execute mitigations in-house or through contracts
Staff
Cultural Resources Manager
2 Archaeologists
1 Historian
1 Historic architect/architectural historian (vacant)
Seasonal field crews
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12. FWA Historic Buildings
CULTURAL RESOURCES
FWA Historic Buildings
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13. Protecting Cultural Resources
Off Road Maneuver
Activities by these vehicles in summer have increased potential to damage or destroy archaeological resources.
Ensure you stay in permitted areas
Report vandalism of cultural resources to the Cultural Resources Manager ( )
Digging in training areas
Dig Permit
Discovering artifact
Cease ground-disturbing operations
Immediately report the finding to the Cultural Resources Manager
Facilities Maintenance of Historic Buildings and Structures
Must be done by DPW
Cannot alter important features of historic properties
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14. Name//office/phone/email address
CULTURAL RESOURCES
EO Responsibility
The EO must be able to provide unit level awareness for items of cultural significance.
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15. Name//office/phone/email address
CULTURAL RESOURCES
END
INSTALLATION MANAGEMENT COMMAND
“Sustain, Support and Defend”
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