Inventory Historic Archaeological Resources at Keweenaw National Historic Park and Isle Royale Naitonal Park | NPS NOIP18AC00178

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP18AC00178

The Department of the Interior, National Park Service offered a discretionary funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number NPS NOIP18AC00178) titled "Inventory Historic Archaeological Resources at Keweenaw National Historic Park and Isle Royale National Park." The award was structured as a cooperative agreement, with one expected award and a maximum funding level (ceiling) of $150,000. The opportunity was open to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, reflecting a focus on partnering with universities that can provide professional archeological expertise, research capacity, and public-facing educational engagement. The announcement was created on April 6, 2018, with an original closing date of April 16, 2018, indicating a short application window typical of some targeted, project-specific federal calls.

At its core, the project’s purpose was to conduct an archeological inventory in two Michigan park units: Keweenaw National Historic Park (KEWE) and Isle Royale National Park (ISRO). The work emphasized generating baseline archeological information in areas that had not been fully surveyed, documenting the location and context of historic sites, and producing the kinds of datasets the National Park Service relies on for day-to-day stewardship. For KEWE in particular, the inventory was framed as essential for making more informed and efficient decisions about public use and access within the Quincy Unit. By knowing what archeological resources are present and where they are located, the park can plan trails, interpretive access, and potential openings of additional areas to visitors while reducing the risk of inadvertent damage to sensitive cultural resources. The grant also highlighted that having solid baseline documentation supports quicker and more defensible responses to regulatory and compliance processes, since parks often need ready access to survey results and site information when projects trigger cultural resource review requirements.

A major theme of the opportunity was partnership-building and community involvement alongside resource protection. The project explicitly aimed to include partner organizations connected to KEWE as well as stakeholders at ISRO, with an emphasis on conservation relationships that involve private organizations and the balancing act between stewardship responsibilities and public use. The call also recognized that some park boundaries are adjacent to private lands and neighboring communities, and it positioned the archeological inventory as a platform for collaboration with nearby groups, including private landowners. This outward-facing approach was not just about data collection; it was also intended to strengthen working relationships and create shared understanding of local history and cultural landscapes.

One specific partnership highlighted in the announcement was with the Keweenaw Time Traveler, a web-based interactive mapping tool that allows residents to document and explore the history of their communities. The grant positioned the Time Traveler as an additional public platform for communicating archeological work and findings to local residents, helping translate technical fieldwork into information people can engage with. This component directly responded to community interest in being more actively involved in archeology at both parks, suggesting that the project was expected to have public humanities and interpretation value in addition to producing formal survey results.

The opportunity also carried a clear commitment to improving representation of tribal histories and perspectives in both parks. The survey and related contextual studies were described as a way to address the under-representation of tribal communities in existing historical narratives and documentation. Beyond the research outputs, the project was intended to support deeper collaboration among tribal leaders, National Park Service staff, and university partners, creating more sustained dialogue and identifying opportunities for stronger tribal involvement in stewardship and interpretation. In practical terms, this signals that inventory results were expected to be used not only to locate sites, but also to improve how park stories are told and whose histories are centered in interpretive programs.

Finally, the project tied its outcomes to visitor experience and safety. By documenting baseline conditions on previously unsurveyed lands, especially at KEWE, the park would be better positioned to plan for public access in a way that protects archeological resources while also designing safe visitor use. At Isle Royale, understanding the nature and location of historic sites was framed as supporting visitor safety on the island, implying that site locations and conditions can affect route planning, hazard awareness, and management decisions in a remote park setting. Overall, the grant opportunity combined archeological field inventory with planning support, compliance readiness, community engagement, tribal consultation and representation goals, and practical improvements to interpretation and public access.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the environment, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Inventory Historic Archaeological Resources at Keweenaw National Historic Park and Isle Royale Naitonal Park" 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 Apr 06, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 16, 2018. (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 $150,000.00 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 NPS NOIP18AC00178

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