VISION
The Keweenaw National Historical Park is a nationally recognized historical destination. The National Park Service and other partner organizations skillfully convey the area’s copper-mining history using effective interpretive methods and carefully preserved historic resources. Thriving local heritage organizations reflect the community's support, and a strong preservation ethic permeates the Keweenaw.
MISSION
The Keweenaw National Historical Park Advisory Commission provides leadership, education and financial support for the protection, preservation and interpretation of resources related to the story of copper mining on Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Goal 1. Advise the National Park Service at Keweenaw National Historical Park on park planning, preservation, interpretation and operational matters.
Objectives:
• Contribute to the development of the following reports or plans:
• Quincy Mine Office boundary survey and marking.
• National Historic Landmark Amendments for the Quincy and Calumet Units.
• Quincy Mine Office Historic Structures Report.
• C&H Library Historic Structures Report.
• C&H Warehouse #1 LSCMC Project.
• Ethnographic Overview and Assessment.
• Working with the Abandoned Mineral Lands program to fund Dockside Warehouse stabilization at the Quincy Smelter.
• Explore possibilities of more park signage to include both additional park entrance signs and new park orientation signs in the greater park environs.
• Worked with Quincy Mine Hoist Association to repair entrance sign.
Goal 2. Develop the Keweenaw Heritage Sites Program into a consortium of fully sustainable sites.
Objectives:
• Begin the process for new applicants to Heritage Sites program.
• Facilitate biannual Heritage Sites meetings attended by more than 75% of the Heritage Sites.
• Deliver at least one training session designed to address the needs identified in the Heritage Site Self-Evaluation process.
• Provide travel grants to the Heritage Sites to facilitate attendance at professional conferences.
Goal 3. Develop partnerships that provide visitors with a cohesive, accessible, and engaging national park experience along the entire length of the Keweenaw.
Objectives:
• Funding a building assessment of Calumet Theatre in cooperation with Village of Calumet.
• Wrote a letter of support for MDNR to acquire 15,000 acres of TRG lands on Keweenaw Point as well as trail easement running along US41.
• Design, fabricate, and install new interpretive signage at the Quincy Smelter using 2019 donation of $10,000.
• Administered the FY21 Keweenaw Heritage Grant Program. Provided $125,000 for local historic preservation or interpretation activities.
• Contract and complete a project to address the lead-based paint issues at the Quincy Smelter Office and along primary smelter tour routes.
• Conduct a proof-of-concept test at the Quincy Smelter of the various stamp sand capping alternatives identified by Mannik-Smith.
Goal 4. Promote a historic preservation ethic and emphasize heritage awareness.
Objectives:
• Contracting with local talent to produce informational videos of Quincy Smelter and potentially other heritage sites.
• Restart the Copper Country Trail scenic byway committee working with WUPPDR and KCVB.
• Renew our school bus grant program to provide funding for visits to the Visitor Center and / or the Heritage Sites.
• Review the park’s preservation plan with local stakeholders (MTU, NPS, WUPPDR, etc.) to identify potential owners for the plan’s objectives.
• Utilize Copper Country Preservation, Inc. to further historic preservation activities on the Keweenaw.
Goal 5. Develop the Commission into a sustainable operating organization.
Objectives:
• Work with federal legislators and the National Park Service to raise the federal funding authorization limit of the Commission.
• Ensure that the operational needs of the Commission (accounting tasks, reporting requirements, tax filings, etc.) are completed accurately and on time.
