National Heritage Area Program Legislation: Has the Time Come at Last?
From a legislative perspective, the United States National Heritage Areas (NHA) program has been wildly successful. Since Congress established the first NHA in 1984, there have been 55 designations, with many more waiting in the wings. What has not been so successful is the passage of program legislation to standardize NHAs and place them clearly within the fold of the National Park Service. This year might be different.
Almost 100 NHA bills have already been introduced in the House and Senate during this session of Congress. The bills seek to re-authorize existing areas and to designate new NHAs from around the country. With all this interest in NHAs, it is no surprise that the much needed program legislation has finally started to move. S.1942 has been reported out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the hope is that the bill will find many bipartisan supporters, who would like to attach their specific NHA bills to this framework.
There is a lot to like about this program bill. It sets up a system of NHAs in the National Park Service, encourages partnership with park units, and revises the cumbersome term limits on appropriations. Now, we just have to get it passed!
The Living Landscape Observer is a website, blog and monthly e-newsletter that offers commentary and information on the emerging field of large landscape conservation.
Check out our recent webinar on Pennsylvania Conservation Landscapes: A Story of Success at Scale. The moderated discussion with Cindy Dunn, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Ernest Cook, Director of the Network for Landscape Conservation, highlights the history of the unique Conservation Landscape program.
Watching the development of a national heritage area is a bit like observing the formation of a solar system. Partners, both large and small, are attracted to the heritage area idea like planets around a sun and, if the perceived benefits are powerful enough, the gravitational force will bind them together around a unified vision. With the conservation movement’s interest in how to build effective large landscape networks, examining how this actually happens on the ground might be productive. For example, what lessons can we learn from the formation of the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area?
Want to learn more about the National Heritage Areas model (NHA)? How did the program start and what opportunities and challenges are the country's 55 NHA's currently facing? Watch this webinar featuring Alan Spears, Senior Director of Cultural Resources in the Government Affairs department of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and Sara Capen, Executive Director of the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area, to learn more.
Catch Up On Our Past Coverage of National Heritage Areas
Charting an Uncertain Future for National Heritage Areas - The National Park Service Advisory Board released the report Charting a Future for National Heritage Areas in 2007. This article from last year traces what progress has been made on the report’s recommendations.
Robert Manning's latest book fills an important niche - a guide to the county's 55 National Heritage Areas. While dozens of books explore the U.S. National Park system, this is the first comprehensive look at NHAs, offering visitors information on their special stories and sites. Learn more about the book.
