National Heritage Area

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Map of the National Heritage Areas in the continental United States Continental US National Heritage Areas map.png
Map of the National Heritage Areas in the continental United States

In the United States, a National Heritage Area (NHA) is a site designated by Act of Congress, intended to encourage historic preservation of the area and an appreciation of the history and heritage of the site. There are currently 62 NHAs, some of which use variations of the title, such as National Heritage Corridor. [1]

Contents

National Heritage Areas are neither National Park Service units or federally owned or managed land. NHAs are usually administered by state governments, non-profit organizations or other private corporations, referred to as "local coordinating entities". The National Park Service provides an advisory role and limited technical, planning and financial assistance, in a form of Public–private partnership.

Each area has its own authorizing legislation and a set of unique resources and goals. Areas considered for designation must have specific elements. First, the landscape must be a nationally unique natural, cultural, historic, or scenic resource. Second, when the related sites are linked, they must tell a unique story about the U.S. [2] NHAs may often geographically overlap each other, and may also overlap portions or entireties of federally owned or managed land, National Park Service units and other protected areas. To date, more total NHAs, as well as more total acreage of land, have been designated east of the Mississippi River.

Legislative history

The first NHA created, the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor, located in Illinois, was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on August 21, 1984.

The National Heritage Areas Act of 2006 designated ten new NHAs and authorized three studies of potential NHAs. It was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 12, 2006.

The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 designated ten new NHAs. The bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 30, 2009.

The John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 laid out procedures for planning and management of NHAs and designated six new NHAs. It was signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 12, 2019.

The National Heritage Area Act of 2022 established a National Heritage Area System and created a standardized process for the Department of the Interior to provide financial and technical assistance to NHAs. [3] The law also provides a process for the study and designation of new NHAs and evaluation for existing NHAs. It authorized three studies of potential NHAs and established seven new NHAs. [4] The bill was passed by the Senate on December 20, 2022 by unanimous consent and the House on December 22 (on a vote of 326-95), and was signed into law by President Joe Biden on January 5, 2023. [5]

List of National Heritage Areas

Current

There are 62 National Heritage Areas, listed below with their respective local coordinating entity:

AreaState(s)Designation DateLocal Coordinating AuthorityNotes
Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area Illinois May 8, 2008Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition
Alabama Black Belt National Heritage Area Alabama January 5, 2023Center for the Study of the Black Belt at the University of West Alabama
Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area West Virginia and Maryland March 12, 2019Appalachian Forest Heritage Area, Inc.
Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area Georgia October 12, 2006Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance
Atchafalaya National Heritage Area Louisiana October 12, 2006Louisiana Office of Tourism, Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
Augusta Canal National Heritage Area Georgia Augusta Canal Authority
Baltimore National Heritage Area Maryland March 30, 2009 City of Baltimore
Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Massachusetts/Rhode Island November 1986
Blue Ridge National Heritage Area North Carolina November 10, 2003Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership
Bronzeville – Black Metropolis National Heritage Area Illinois January 5, 2023Black Metropolis National Heritage Area Commission
Cache La Poudre River Corridor National Heritage Area Colorado March 30, 2009Poudre Heritage Alliance
Cane River National Heritage Area Louisiana Cane River National Heritage Area Commission
Champlain Valley National Heritage Area New York/Vermont October 12, 2006Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership
Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area New Jersey Crossroads of the American Revolution Association
Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Pennsylvania1988Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Inc.
Downeast Maine National Heritage AreaMaineJanuary 5, 2023Sunrise County Economic Council
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor New YorkErie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
Essex National Heritage Area Massachusetts1996 Essex National Heritage Commission
Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area Kansas/MissouriOctober 12, 2006Partnership Team
Freedom's Way National Heritage Area Massachusetts/New HampshireMarch 30, 2009
Great Basin National Heritage Area Nevada/UtahOctober 12, 2006Great Basin Heritage Area Partnership
Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Florida/Georgia/North Carolina/South CarolinaOctober 12, 2006Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission
Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area New York1996 Hudson River Valley Greenway
Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Illinois August 21, 1984 Canal Corridor Association
John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Massachusetts/Rhode IslandOctober 12, 2006Blackstone River Valley Heritage Corridor Commission
Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area Maryland/Pennsylvania/Virginia/West VirginiaThe Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership
Kenai Mountains – Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area Alaska March 30, 2009
Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor Massachusetts, ConnecticutNovember 2, 1994The Last Green ValleyFormerly the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor. Renamed December 19, 2014.
Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area Pennsylvania2000Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority
Maritime Washington National Heritage Area WashingtonMarch 12, 2019Washington Trust for Historic Preservation
Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area MississippiMarch 30, 2009Delta Council
Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area MississippiOffice of Coastal Management and Planning, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area MississippiMarch 30, 2009Mississippi Hills Heritage Area Alliance
Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area UtahOctober 12, 2006Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance
MotorCities National Heritage Area MichiganNovember 6, 1998Initially named Automobile National Heritage Area
Mountains to Sound Greenway WashingtonMarch 12, 2019Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust
Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area AlabamaMarch 30, 2009 University of North Alabama
National Aviation Heritage Area Ohio2004Aviation Heritage Foundation, Inc.
National Coal Heritage Area West VirginiaNovember 12, 1996National Coal Heritage Area Authority
Niagara Falls National Heritage Area New YorkNovember 2008
Northern Plains National Heritage Area North Dakota March 30, 2009
Northern Neck National Heritage AreaVirginiaJanuary 5, 2023Sunrise County Economic Council
Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area New Mexico October 12, 2006
Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area Ohio1996Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition
Oil Region National Heritage Area Pennsylvania2004Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry & Tourism
Path of Progress National Heritage Tour Route Pennsylvania Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission
Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area Pennsylvania1996Steel Industry Heritage Corporation
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area CaliforniaMarch 12, 2019Delta Protection Commission
Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area ArizonaMarch 12, 2019Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance, Inc.
Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Colorado March 30, 2009Sangre de Cristo NHA Steering Committee
Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area Pennsylvania
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District Virginia Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation
Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area Iowa 1996
South Carolina National Heritage Corridor South Carolina1996South Carolina National Heritage Corridor, Inc.
South Park National Heritage Area Colorado March 30, 2009Tourism and Community Development Office, Park County
Southern Campaign of the Revolution National Heritage CorridorNorth Carolina/South CarolinaJanuary 5, 2023 University of South Carolina
Southern Maryland National Heritage Area Maryland January 5, 2023Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland
St. Croix National Heritage Area U.S. Virgin Islands January 5, 2023Virgin Islands State Historic Preservation Office
Susquehanna National Heritage Area PennsylvaniaMarch 12, 2019Susquehanna Heritage Corporation
Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area Tennessee1996Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University
Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area Connecticut/MassachusettsOctober 12, 2006Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area, Inc.
Wheeling National Heritage Area West Virginia October 11, 2000Wheeling National Heritage Area Corporation
Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Arizona/California October 19, 2000Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Corporation

Proposed

AreaState(s)Passed by CongressRef.
Great Dismal Swamp National Heritage Area Virginia Study approved, in process [6]
Ka‘ena Point National Heritage Area Hawaii Study approved, in process [7]
Monterey Bay National Heritage Area California No
Guam National Heritage Area Guam Study approved, in process [8]
Coastal Virginia National Heritage AreaVirginiaNo
South Kona National Heritage AreaHawaiiNo
Nation's Oldest Port National Heritage Area Florida No
Calumet National Heritage AreaIndiana, IllinoisStudy approved, in process [9]
Lahaina National Heritage Area Hawaii Study approved, in process [10]
Kentucky Wildlands National Heritage Area Kentucky Study completed 2019, criteria met [11]
Chattahoochee Trade National Heritage Area Georgia, Alabama Study completed 2015, criteria not met [12]
Kentucky Lincoln National Heritage Area Kentucky Study completed 2015, criteria not met [13]
Finger Lakes National Heritage Area New York Study completed 2023, criteria met [14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "National Heritage Areas Contact Information". National Park Service. November 2010. (which serves as an official list of all 55 National Heritage Areas)
  2. ↑ NPS FAQ
  3. ↑ Manno, Melissa (December 22, 2022). "Tonko's National Heritage Area Act passes". Times Union. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  4. ↑ "National Heritage Area Act". Congress.gov. December 22, 2022.
  5. ↑ "S.1942 - National Heritage Area Act". Congress.gov.
  6. ↑ "ParkPlanning - Great Dismal Swamp National Heritage Area Feasibility Study". parkplanning.nps.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  7. ↑ "ParkPlanning - Ka'ena Point National Heritage Area Feasibility Study". parkplanning.nps.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  8. ↑ "ParkPlanning - Guam National Heritage Area Feasibility Study". parkplanning.nps.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Push to get Region recognition as National Heritage Area gaining momentum". June 17, 2023.
  10. ↑ "President signs Tokuda's legislation to explore feasibility of Lahaina as a National Heritage Area | Maui Now". | President signs Tokuda’s legislation to explore feasibility of Lahaina as a National Heritage Area. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
  11. ↑ "ParkPlanning - Kentucky Wildlands National Heritage Area Feasibility Study". parkplanning.nps.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  12. ↑ "ParkPlanning - Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor Feasibility Study". parkplanning.nps.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  13. ↑ "ParkPlanning - Kentucky Lincoln National Heritage Area Feasibility Study". parkplanning.nps.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  14. ↑ "ParkPlanning - National Heritage Area Feasibility Study - Finger Lakes Heritage Area". parkplanning.nps.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
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