National Heritage Area


In the United States, a National Heritage Area 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.
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". A single coordinating authority oversees each area. 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. 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. 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. The bill was passed by the Senate on December 20, 2022 by unanimous consent and the House on December 22, and was signed into law by President Joe Biden on January 5, 2023.

List of National Heritage Areas

Current

There are 62 National Heritage Areas, listed below with their respective local coordinating entity:
AreaStateDesignation DateLocal Coordinating AuthorityNotes
Abraham Lincoln National Heritage AreaIllinoisLooking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition
Alabama Black Belt National Heritage AreaAlabamaCenter for the Study of the Black Belt at the University of West Alabama
Appalachian Forest National Heritage AreaWest Virginia and MarylandAppalachian Forest Heritage Area, Inc.
Arabia Mountain National Heritage AreaGeorgiaArabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance
Atchafalaya National Heritage AreaLouisianaLouisiana Office of Tourism, Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
Augusta Canal National Heritage AreaGeorgiaAugusta Canal Authority
Baltimore National Heritage AreaMarylandCity of Baltimore
Blackstone River Valley National Heritage CorridorMassachusetts/Rhode Island
Blue Ridge National Heritage AreaNorth CarolinaBlue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership
Bronzeville – Black Metropolis National Heritage AreaIllinoisBlack Metropolis National Heritage Area Commission
Cache La [Poudre River Corridor National Heritage Area]ColoradoPoudre Heritage Alliance
Cane River National Heritage AreaLouisianaCane River National Heritage Area Commission
Champlain Valley National Heritage AreaNew York/VermontChamplain Valley National Heritage Partnership
Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage AreaNew JerseyCrossroads of the American Revolution Association
Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage CorridorPennsylvaniaDelaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Inc.
Downeast Maine National Heritage AreaMaineSunrise County Economic Council
Erie Canalway National Heritage CorridorNew YorkErie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
Essex National Heritage AreaMassachusettsEssex National Heritage Commission
Freedom's Frontier National Heritage AreaKansas/MissouriPartnership Team
Freedom's Way National Heritage AreaMassachusetts/New Hampshire
Great Basin National Heritage AreaNevada/UtahGreat Basin Heritage Area Partnership
Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage CorridorFlorida/Georgia/North Carolina/South CarolinaGullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission
Hudson River Valley National Heritage AreaNew YorkHudson River Valley Greenway
Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage CorridorIllinois
John H. Chafee [Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor]Massachusetts/Rhode IslandBlackstone River Valley Heritage Corridor Commission
Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage AreaMaryland/Pennsylvania/Virginia/West VirginiaThe Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership
Kenai Mountains – Turnagain Arm National Heritage AreaAlaska
Last Green Valley National Heritage CorridorMassachusetts, ConnecticutThe Last Green ValleyFormerly the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor. Renamed December 19, 2014.
Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage AreaPennsylvaniaLackawanna Heritage Valley Authority
Maritime Washington National Heritage AreaWashingtonWashington Trust for Historic Preservation
Mississippi Delta National Heritage AreaMississippiDelta Council
Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage AreaMississippiOffice of Coastal Management and Planning, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
Mississippi Hills National Heritage AreaMississippiMississippi Hills Heritage Area Alliance
Mormon Pioneer National Heritage AreaUtahUtah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance
MotorCities National Heritage AreaMichiganInitially named Automobile National Heritage Area
Mountains to Sound GreenwayWashingtonMountains to Sound Greenway Trust
Muscle Shoals National Heritage AreaAlabamaUniversity of North Alabama
National Aviation Heritage AreaOhioAviation Heritage Foundation, Inc.
National Coal Heritage AreaWest VirginiaNational Coal Heritage Area Authority
Niagara Falls National Heritage AreaNew York
Northern Plains National Heritage AreaNorth Dakota
Northern Neck National Heritage AreaVirginiaSunrise County Economic Council
Northern Rio Grande National Heritage AreaNew Mexico
Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage AreaOhioOhio & Erie Canalway Coalition
Oil Region National Heritage AreaPennsylvaniaOil Region Alliance of Business, Industry & Tourism
Path of Progress National Heritage Tour RoutePennsylvaniaSouthwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission
Rivers of Steel National Heritage AreaPennsylvaniaSteel Industry Heritage Corporation
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage AreaCaliforniaDelta Protection Commission
Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage AreaArizonaSanta Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance, Inc.
Sangre de Cristo National Heritage AreaColoradoSangre de Cristo NHA Steering Committee
Schuylkill River National and State Heritage AreaPennsylvania
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic DistrictVirginiaShenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation
Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage AreaIowa
South Carolina National Heritage CorridorSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina National Heritage Corridor, Inc.
South Park National Heritage AreaColoradoTourism and Community Development Office, Park County
Southern Campaign of the Revolution National Heritage CorridorNorth Carolina/South CarolinaUniversity of South Carolina
Southern Maryland National Heritage AreaMarylandJanuary 5, 2023Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland
St. Croix National Heritage AreaU.S. Virgin IslandsVirgin Islands State Historic Preservation Office
Susquehanna National Heritage AreaPennsylvaniaSusquehanna Heritage Corporation
Tennessee Civil War National Heritage AreaTennesseeCenter for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University
Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage AreaConnecticut/MassachusettsUpper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area, Inc.
Wheeling National Heritage AreaWest VirginiaWheeling National Heritage Area Corporation
Yuma Crossing National Heritage AreaArizona/CaliforniaYuma Crossing National Heritage Area Corporation