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Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Evaluation Findings

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Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Evaluation Findings Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Evaluation Findings Authors: Prepared for: Barry Goodstadt, PhD. United States Gia Meli National Park Service Sam Mathur Washington D.C. 21515 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling VA 20166 Table of Contents Executive Summary 5 Section 1: Introduction 1.1 Purpose of this Report 11 1.2 Overview of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor 12 1.3 Evaluation Methodology 14 Section 2: Overview of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor 2.1 Introduction and History of the Erie Canal 19 2.2 Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and its Partners 23 2.3 Strength and Sustainability of Erie Canalway Partnerships 29 2.4 Chronology of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor 34 Section 3: ECNHC Fulfillment of the Authorizing Legislation and Management Plan 3.1 Goals and Objectives of ECNHC 37 3.2 Grants 43 3.3 Preservation 51 3.4 Tourism Development 58 3.5 Education 63 3.6 Marketing & Outreach 66 3.7 ECNHC Partners 69 Section 4: Public/Private Investments in ECNHC and their Impact 4.1 Investments in ECNHC Activities 72 4.2 Use of Financial Resources 77 4.3 Impact of Investments 80 Section 5: ECNHC Sustainabilitye Report 85 5.1 Defining Sustainability 85 5.2 Legislative Mandate of the ECNHC 85 5.3 Partnerships 91 5.4 Financial Sustainability 92 Appendix 1 95 Appendix 2 98 Appendix 3 109 Appendix 4 116 Appendix 5 119 Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Evaluation Findings Executive Summary Executive Summary Purpose of the Report This report was prepared on behalf of the Na- • The canals and adjacent communities are a tional Park Service (NPS) as part of the evalua- nationally significant resource of historic and tion of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Cor- recreational value ridor (ECNHC). In overall terms, the goals of this • The Erie Canalway was instrumental in es- report are to evaluate the following questions: tablishing strong political ties between New England, New York and the old Northwest 1. Based on its authorizing legislation and gen- and facilitated the flow of ideas and people eral management plan, has the Erie Canalway ensuring that social reforms like the aboli- National Heritage Corridor achieved its pro- tion of slavery and women’s suffrage spread posed accomplishments? across upstate New York 2. What have been the impacts of investments • The construction of the Erie Canalway was made by Federal, State, Tribal and local an unrivaled engineering feat at the time government and private entities in the Erie and American canals were subsequently Canalway National Heritage Corridor? modeled on New York’s canals 3. How does Erie Canalway management struc- • At the time of construction, the Erie Canalway ture, partnership relationships, and current was the largest public works project under- funding contribute to its sustainability? taken by a state • The Erie Canalway played a significant role in At present there are 49 National Heritage Areas making New York City into a major East Coast that have been designated by Congress. As each port and New York State into a key center for of these NHAs reaches the end of funding autho- commerce, industry and finance rization period, NPS conducts an evaluation of • The Erie Canalway demonstrated the the program and reports the results to Congress. strength of American ingenuity, solidified the national identify and is memorialized in To ensure unbiased evaluations, NPS contracts legend, song and art with an independent firm to conduct the evalu- • There is a national interest in the preserva- ation and prepare the evaluation report. This in- tion and interpretation of the Erie Canalway’s dependently produced report was prepared by engineering planning and execution, its his- ARCBridge Consulting & Training and serves to tory and culture, its scenic beauty, and its document the methodology used and the find- recreational opportunities. ings that have emerged from the analysis. The Congressional legislation authorizing the Erie Evaluation Methodology Canalway National Heritage Corridor in October, 2000 pointed to several distinct themes which In order to address the three questions described served as the basis for the designation. above, ARCBridge used a structured evaluation methodology that was previously used in the • The year 2000 marked the 175th Anni- evaluation of other NHAs. This methodology in- versary of New York’s opening of the Erie volves a three-phased process which includes: Canalway for commerce, transportation and recreational purposes which established a 1. Tailoring of the evaluation design to the Erie network which made New York, the “Empire Canalway Legislation and Management Plan State” Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Evaluation Findings 5 Executive Summary 2. Gathering and performing an initial view of • Sites and buildings where Erie Canalway has results been involved in or sponsored programmatic 3. Analyzing the data and documenting findings efforts (such as the Ticket to Ride Program visits to Chittenango Landing. Cohoes Falls The process of tailoring the evaluation required Park, Peebles Island, Saratoga National His- working with Erie Canalway staff to assemble toric Park) and review foundational documents. Such doc- • Members of the Erie Canalway Heritage uments consisted of the enabling legislation Fund Board of Directors and planning documents (such as management • Members of the Erie Canalway Canal Com- plans, strategic plans, marketing and communi- mission cation plans). Gathering of these documents be- • Consumer intercept interviews at several gan in conjunction with a “meet and greet” ses- sites along the canal sion held at the beginning of the project and was • Interviews with leaders in communities that subsequently continued through conference focused economic development around the calls and follow-up discussions over the course canal of the ensuing months. The analysis of this material also involved exam- During the “meet and greet” session, the ARC- ination of financial records, partnership records, Bridge team met with Erie Canalway staff and and grants management records as well as a re- with members of the Board of Directors and view of studies undertaken by other organiza- visited several sites and communities to under- tions. A significant portion of the analysis was stand the work and process used in implement- focused on finances of the organization includ- ing the Erie Canalway program. The “meet and ing fund-raising, non-federal matching funds, ex- greet” session was also an occasion where the penditures, and the overall economic impact of ARCBridge team held a discussion with Erie the program (as described in the economic anal- Canalway staff to identify program inputs, pro- ysis completed by the Tripp Umbach consulting gram participants, and various types of program group in 2015). out-puts/impacts. This discussion led to the de- velopment of a logic model which described the Key Findings process by which the program staff believed that the program was able to generate impact in the Question 1. Based on its authorizing legisla- community. tion and general management plan, has Erie Canalway achieved its proposed accomplish- This early project work was followed by a lat- ments? er visit to carry out further data collection and interviewing. The interviewing included discus- Congressional legislation specified that the aim sions with: of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor was to preserve and to interpret the cultural and • Individuals who managed partner organiza- historical resources of the New York State Canal tions (e.g., various community, civic organi- systems and the towns adjacent to the Canal as zations, state organization and institutions key elements encompassing commerce, trans- such as the Erie Canal Corporation) portation and recreational activities of residents and visitors. In addition, the Canalway has had a critical role in the history of the nation of the state of New York in its role as a center of trade and finance. 6 Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Evaluation Findings Executive Summary Chapter 3 of this Report and Table E.1 out- Table E-1 makes it evident that the activities lines the overall scope of the mission and Erie of Erie Canalway have been clearly focused on Canalway activities addressed to Evaluation the purposes of the legislation and the goals Question 1 based upon the legislation and the outlined in the Erie Canalway management Erie Canalway Management Plan. plan. Table E.1: Legislation, Goals, and Activities Purposes Specified in Goals Outlined in ECNHC Pres- Erie Canalway Activities Legislation ervation and Management Plan • To provide for and • The Corridor’s historic and • Preserve Corridor Resources through assist in the identifi- distinctive sense of place will documentation and mapping and pro- cation, preservation, be widely expressed viding access through websites promotion, mainte- • The Corridor’s natural • Preserve historic resources by iden- nance of the historical, resources will reflect the tifying candidates for National Reg- natural, cultural, sce- highest standards of environ- ister and National Historic Landmark nic and recreational ment quality nominations resources of the Erie • The Corridor’s recreation op- • Sponsorships of bike tours throughout Canalway portunities will achieve maxi- the Corridor mum scope and diversity, in • Advocate and leverage federal, state, harmony with the protection and local support for Canalway Trail of heritage resources completion in collaboration with the NYS Canal
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