Like so much of Alaska, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve features some of the most valuable wildlife habitat, unique recreational opportunities and breathtaking landscapes in the country. But more importantly than that, it encompasses land sacred to the Huna Tlingit — Alaskan Native people whose ancestors occupied Glacier Bay long ago, before they were forced out of their homeland by advancing glaciers.

The property encompasses a large portion of Chookanhéeni (Grassy River), the site of an ancestral Tlingit village and the place of origin of the Chookaneidí Clan. Chookanhéeni is one of the clan’s most revered sites and is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places as a “traditional cultural property.” Generations of Huna Tlingit hunted, fished and gathered on the surrounding lands and waters, and clan members retain strong ties to the area.

Our Role

As one of few parcels left within the national park boundary not under federal ownership, the 150-acre Berg Bay property faced high risk of development. Recognizing Berg Bay’s importance to the Huna Tlingit and its ecological significance, the National Park Service (NPS) worked with the Hoonah Indian Association, The Conservation Fund and the National Park Foundation to find a conservation solution for the land. In 2018, TCF acted quickly to purchase the land with support from the National Park Foundation and additional private contributions. We then held and managed the property for roughly two years, allowing the NPS the time it needed to acquire federal funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). When funding was granted, we transferred the property to the NPS for its permanent protection as part of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

With the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020, LWCF was granted full and permanent funding, essentially doubling the amount of money our federal partners can use on conservation projects such as this each year. Learn more about how we’re scaling up our funding capabilities to take full advantage of LWCF for America’s land, water and communities.