National Heritage Area
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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.<ref name=contact>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} (which serves as an official list of all 55 National Heritage Areas)</ref>
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.<ref>NPS FAQ</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
List of National Heritage Areas
Current
There are 62 National Heritage Areas, listed below with their respective local coordinating entity:
Proposed
| Area | State(s) | Passed by Congress | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Dismal Swamp National Heritage Area | Virginia | Study approved, in process | citation | CitationClass=web
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| Ka‘ena Point National Heritage Area | Hawaii | Study approved, in process | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Monterey Bay National Heritage Area | California | No | ||
| Guam National Heritage Area | Guam | Study approved, in process | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Coastal Virginia National Heritage Area | Virginia | No | ||
| South Kona National Heritage Area | Hawaii | No | ||
| Nation's Oldest Port National Heritage Area | Florida | No | ||
| Calumet National Heritage Area | Indiana, Illinois | Study approved, in process | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Lahaina National Heritage Area | Hawaii | Study approved, in process | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Kentucky Wildlands National Heritage Area | Kentucky | Study completed 2019, criteria met | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Chattahoochee Trade National Heritage Area | Georgia, Alabama | Study completed 2015, criteria not met | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Kentucky Lincoln National Heritage Area | Kentucky | Study completed 2015, criteria not met | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Finger Lakes National Heritage Area | New York | Study completed 2023, criteria met | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
See also
- Hispanic Heritage Sites (U.S. National Park Service)
- African-American Heritage Sites (U.S. National Park Service)
- Native American Heritage Sites (U.S. National Park Service)
- Women's History Sites (U.S. National Park Service)