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What is a National Heritage Area?
The impressive ball court at Wupatki National Monument outside of Flagstaff, Arizona is the northern-most example of this type of structure commonly associated with Mesoamerican cultures. |
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Working with ranch animals on open ranges is an experience that crosscuts the many cultures found in the Little Colorado River Valley: Hispanic, Anglo, and Native. National Heritage Areas highlight lifestyles that define a region. |
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National Heritage Areas seek to preserve and celebrate America's defining landscapes and diverse cultural traditions.
National Heritage Areas are designated by Congress and promote three main goals:
- increased economic growth through heritage tourism
- care and promotion of natural and cultural resources
- enhanced educational opportunities about the region's heritage
Designation does not add any federal regulation to private or public property use or development, and the growth of heritage tourism and resource conservation brings long term economic and community benefits.
The 37 existing National Heritage Areas contain many natural, cultural, and recreational resources. These resources form a cohesive, nationally distinctive landscape that arose from patterns of past and present human activity. Examples include Areas that feature canals that were relied upon for industry and transportation, the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area that tells the story of American agriculture, and the Rivers of Steel and National Coal Heritage Areas that relate the impact of these industries on the land, people, and nation.
These regions represent, through their landscapes and cultural traditions, a significant part of the total American experience. An Area's cultural, ecological, recreational, civic, and business resources can be promoted together for the benefit of local communities.
Local entities representing multiple stakeholders manage National Heritage Areas. Technical assistance and funding, up to $10 million during the first 15 years, is available from the National Park Service. "There is great flexibility in the potential uses for the funding, with the exception of property acquisition, which would be precluded. The Center for Desert Archaeology is currently working with local organizations to gain designation for both the Santa Cruz Valley and the Little Colorado River Valley.
Learn more about National Heritage Areas at the National Park Service's official website:
http://www.cr.nps.gov/heritageareas/
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