^

National Heritage Areas

Congress has designated 55 National Heritage Areas (NHAs) to recognize the unique national significance of a region’s sites and history. Through partnerships with the National Park Service (NPS), National Heritage Areas provide community-driven heritage conservation that tells America’s stories.

The Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area celebrates our nation’s rich history in agriculture, music, food, art, religion and literature as well as interprets our FY 2020 Appropriations Request nationally significant events like the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Great Migration. Please support $32 million for National Heritage Areas in the PHOTO BY THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION FY 2020 Interior Appropriations bill.

APPROPRIATIONS BILL: Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Background AGENCY: National Park Service National Heritage Areas are ACCOUNT: National Recreation and Preservation partnerships among the National ACTIVITY: Heritage Partnership Programs/National Heritage Areas Park Service, states, and local communities, in which the Recent Funding History: NPS supports state and local FY 2017 Enacted Funding: $19.821 million conservation through federal FY 2018 Enacted Funding $20.321 million recognition, seed money, and FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $20.321 million technical assistance. NHAs are FY 2020 President’s Budget Request: $374,000 designated by individual legislation FY 2020 NTHP Recommendation: $32 million with specific provisions for operation unique to the area’s specific JUSTIFICATION: According to the National Park Service, NHAs leverage an resources and desired goals. NHAs average of $5.50 for every $1 of federal investment to create jobs, generate local government revenue, and sustain local communities through revitalization are often organized around a theme, and heritage tourism. NHAs are the management responsibility of federal industry, and/or geographic feature commissions, nonprofit groups, universities, and state agencies or municipal authorities, guided by a management plan approved by the Secretary of the that has influenced our national Interior. Through this partnership strategy, heritage areas combine historic culture and history. Lands within preservation, cultural, natural resource conservation, local and regional NHAs remain in state, local, private preservation planning, and heritage education and tourism. This activity includes commissions and grants to the 55 individual NHAs, as well as administrative ownership, or a combination thereof. support for coordination, guidance, assistance, and training. Funding has lagged NHA designation does not affect far behind the needs and popularity of the program. According to the Alliance of National Heritage Areas, enhanced funding of $32 million will ensure that all private property rights. current areas can continue their work. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

National Heritage Areas by State

ALABAMA MARYLAND NORTH DAKOTA Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (MD, WV) Northern Plains National Heritage Area Baltimore National Heritage Area ALASKA Journey Through Hallowed Ground National OHIO Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Heritage Area (MD, PA, VA, WV) Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway Area National Aviation Heritage Area MASSACHUSETTS ARIZONA Essex National Heritage Area PENNSYLVANIA Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area Freedom's Way National Heritage Area (MA, NH) Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor National Heritage Area John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Corridor (MA, RI) Heritage Area (MD, PA, VA, WV) CALIFORNIA The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor Lackawanna Heritage Valley Sacramento-San Jaoquin Delta National Heritage Are (CT, MA) a Oil Region National Heritage Area Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area Path of Progress National Heritage Route (Inactive) COLORADO (CT, MA) Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area Cache La Poudre River Corridor Schuylkill River National Heritage Area Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area MICHIGAN Susquehanna National Heritage Area South Park National Heritage Area MotorCities National Heritage Area

CONNECTICUT MISSISSIPPI RHODE ISLAND John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area Heritage Corridor (MA, RI) (CT, MA) Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area SOUTH CAROLINA (CT, MA) MISSOURI Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor (FL, GA, NC, SC) FLORIDA Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area (KS, South Carolina National Heritage Corridor Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor (FL, MO) GA, NC, SC) NEVADA TENNESEE Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area GEORGIA Great Basin National Heritage Area (NV, UT) National Heritage Area UTAH National Heritage Area NEW JERSEY Great Basin National Heritage Area (NV, UT) Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor (FL, Crossroads of the American Revolution National GA, NC, SC) Heritage Area Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area

IOWA NEW HAMPSHIRE VERMONT Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area Freedom's Way National Heritage Area (MA, NH) Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership (VT, NY) ILLINOIS NEW MEXICO VIRGINIA Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor NEW YORK Heritage Area (MD, PA, VA, WV) Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic KANSAS Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership District Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area (KS, MO) (NY, VT) Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor WASHINGTON LOUISIANA Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Maritime Washington National Heritage Area Atchafalaya National Heritage Area Niagara Falls National Heritage Area Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Cane River National Heritage Area Area NORTH CAROLINA Blue Ridge National Heritage Area WEST VIRGINIA Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor (FL, Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (MD, WV) GA, NC, SC) Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area (MD, PA, VA, WV) National Coal Heritage Area Wheeling National Heritage Area

Information compiled from: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/heritageareas/visit_nhas_online.htm

^ For additional information, contact Janelle DiLuccia, Associate Director of Public Lands Policy, [email protected], (202) 588-6140.