National Heritage Areas Newsletter  
 
A partnership of the National Park Service 
and  the  Alliance of National Heritage Areas
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National Coal Heritage Area collects oral histories, preserving coal heritage and culture.

In 2016, National Heritage Areas supported historic and cultural resources to engage communities in projects supporting the National Park Service mission. In 2016, $45.5 million was leveraged to carry out a diversity of projects and programs supported by $18.8 million in NPS Heritage Partnership Program funding. 41,135 volunteers contributed over 660,401 hours on heritage area projects - a $14.6 million dollar value.

Preservation: NHAs and their partners work restore historic sites, preserve battlefields and industrial sites, and share our history.
* 211 historic sites and 10,442 acres preserved and maintained.
* 80 collections projects, including creation of oral histories.
* 73 historic preservation grants in the amount of $1 million.

Conservation:
* 7,572 acres of land restored and maintained via invasive species removal, replanting and toxic site clean-up.
* 44 conservation grants awarded in the amount of $743,664.

Recreation: N
HAs  are improving connectivity to resources
* 110 recreation projects undertaken.
* 1,395 miles of trails maintained and 25 new miles of trails built. 
* 50 recreation grants awarded in the amount of $1.7 million.

Education: 
* 198 educational programs were offered.
* 341
education  grants were awarded in the amount of $1.2 million.
NHA Organizational Sustainability Training 
In April and May, the Heritage Development Partnership and the National Heritage Areas program held Organizational Sustainability Training workshops, in Yuma, AZ, as part of the Alliance of National Heritage Area's Spring meeting; in Chicago, IL, at the Field Museum; and in Philadelphia, PA at the NPS Northeast Region office. Sustainability Planning weaves together strategic and business planning that informs decision-making and annual operation plans to assure long-term stability and growth.

Over 100 attendees participated in the training including staff and board members, with 33 National Heritage Areas represented. The Institute for Conservation Leadership facilitated the 1.5-day class focused on tackling topics such as Communicating Your Value, Entrepreneurial Thinking, Building a Culture of Philanthropy, and Community Engagement and follow-through and peer support. 
New Resource for NPS Staff and Partners!

The National Park Service launched a Directory of NPS Community Assistance Programs featuring 54 programs that provide funding, technical assistance, and other resources to groups for historic preservation, investment in historic sites, recreation and improved access to public lands, education, and professional development in and outside national parks. Read more:  nps.gov/getinvolved/
Mississippi NHA's host Collaboration Clinic
 
Collaboration Clinic participants at the Biloxi Visitors Center.
Three National Heritage Areas - Mississippi Delta, Mississippi Hills, and Mississippi Gulf Coast - held a Collaboration Clinic recently at the Biloxi Visitors Center. The workshop was facilitated by the NPS's Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program. 
Since 2014, Collaboration Clinics have been offered over a dozen times in parks and sites across the country. Staff and board members from NHAs attended along with representatives from Visit Mississippi, the Department of Archives & History in Jackson, MS, the National Parks Conservation Association, and the NPS Office of Partnerships & Philanthropic Stewardship.This is the first Collaboration Clinic held in the Southeast Region and the first hosted by a group of National Heritage Areas.   Full article
Groundbreaking on Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail
Supporters of the Towpath were encouraged to bring their own shovel to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony. 

On Earth Day 2017, public officials from Canalway Partners, Cuyahoga County, Cleveland Metroparks, the City of Cleveland and more broke ground on Stage 3 of the Towpath Trail Extension Project in Cleveland, Ohio. This p roject provides an important link between a populous Cleveland neighborhood of Tremont, the employment and retail center Steelyard Commons and the outdoor recreation area Clark Field. This extension is 1.9 miles and creates 30 acres of new public park space. The cost for Stage 3 is about $18.5M. 

"The success of the Towpath is because of the widespread support of the public- we wanted people to bring their own shovel to join in on the groundbreaking ceremony" said Tim Donovan of Canalway Partners.

The Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail is a bicycle and pedestrian trail and greenway that runs through the heart of the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area. The Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail will eventually run 101 miles from Cleveland to New Philadelphia, Ohio. Currently 87 miles of trail have been completed. Learn more at: http://canalwaypartners.com/towpath-trail/stage-3/
'The Mastheads' Project Sets Sail
Five writing studios serve as working spaces for selected writers in residence at key public sites. 

The Upper Housatonic Valley NHA, in collaboration with the City of Pittsfield, MA kicked off a new program named 'The Mastheads' in deference to Herman Melville's "Moby Dick', and recognizing Pittsfield's legacy of writers including Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Oliver Wendell Holmes.   Between 1840 and 1860, the authors produced work in and about Pittsfield. 

 T he Mastheads seek to preserve the history of writing about place through the production of new content and knowledge. Five mobile writers' studios were placed at public sites throughout Pittsfield in July and remain for the summer with writers in residence. The visibility and access to the studios, coupled with programming throughout the community, will ensure that strong place-specific creative works will continue to be produced in Pittsfield. The mission of this project is to use a connection with the past to enrich programming and the built environment today, while creating nimble access to Pittsfield's literary history and future. 
Grandson of aviation pioneer Lindbergh, visited the National Aviation Heritage Area

Erik Lindbergh, grandson of aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh, visited the National Aviation Heritage Area in Ohio in April.  Erik toured the Wright Company factory, which they built in 1910, launching America's aviation industry. NAHA is leading efforts to have the factory site opened to the public.

Lindbergh said the factory's restoration should include exhibits and an actual shop where young people could work on aviation projects. "Leverage the history of this place to make things for the future. Create the future. That's what's important to me," he said.

A pilot himself, Lindbergh is working with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the NPS to develop electric planes for quiet flight over national parks and other noise-sensitive areas.

While visiting NAHA, Erik Lindbergh and S tephen Wright great-grandnephew of the Wright brothers, re-enacted a historic moment when Charles Lindbergh stood on this balcony ninety years ago. In 1927 after his history-making flight in the Spirit of St. Louis from New York to Paris, Charles Lindbergh visited Dayton for dinner with Orville Wright in his home, Hawthorn Hill. Word got out and a crowd gathered. Lindbergh appeared on the balcony where a newspaper photographer snapped a picture-but missed him. This time, the press was ready; photos appeared in the local press and on the Internet. NAHA  photo by Timothy R. Gaffney 
Grant received in Freedom's Frontier NHA
Congressman Kevin Yoder wrote a letter of support for the grant and visited with stakeholder groups.

Freedom's Frontier NHA and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas received a $20,000 grant from the  Kansas State Historical Society's preservation office to hire a consultant to assist with a National Historic Landmark application for Quindaro Townsite Ruins in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Quindaro Town site ruins belong to the Allen Chapel AME Church and the City of Kansas City, Kansas, both of which are involved in the project to gain National Historic Landmark status.  The town was established in 1856 by abolitionist who sought to make the town a safe harbor for escaped slaves crossing the Missouri River into Kansas on the Underground Railroad. Clarina Nichols (1810-1885) was a journalist, lobbyist, and public speaker involved in temperance, abolition and the women's movement. Nichols was active in the Underground Railroad and was associate editor of the Quindaro Chindowan, an abolitionist newspaper.

Also significant to Quindaro's history is the Freedman's School, founded by a Presbyterian Minister in the 1860s to educate children of escaped slaves and other black families settling the area. The school eventually became Western University and served black students until it closed in the 1940s. A statue of John Brown erected on the campus marks where the university once stood.
Battle Reenactments Bring Revolutionary Spirit to 21st Century

Two of New Jersey's historic battlefields came alive during major reenactment weekends this summer. 

The annual reenactment of the 1778 Battle of Monmouth recreated the American Revolution's largest artillery battle June 17 and 18 at Monmouth Battlefield State Park. Plus, for the first time and in recognition of its 240th anniversary, the 1777 Battle of the Short Hills was staged June 24 and 25 at Oak Ridge Park in Union County. The reenactments of these conflicts raise awareness of the more than 200 battles and skirmishes fought in New Jersey during the American Revolution. Read more: http://revolutionarynj.org/
Trailblazers at Essex NHA 20th Anniversary
Mayor of Gloucester, Sefatia Romeo Theken, Sec. Kerry, Annie Harris


Essex National Heritage Area hosted its 20th Anniversary Gala: A Toast to the Trailblazers on April 5, 2017 at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA.

More than 300 people from local, regional, state and national heritage-related organizations and businesses attended the bash to Toast the Trailblazers: the extraordinary organizations and people who make the Essex National  Heritage Area (Essex County, MA) exceptional. 

Former Secretary of State John Kerry was among those in attendance. As Senator, Kerry played a key role in passing the federal legislation designating the Essex National Heritage Area. 

Secretary Kerry said that "Twenty years of community commitment and effort is a big deal in today's world... [Essex Heritage has] done what it was set up to do. "It has a wonderful impact on the community in so many different ways."

Learn more about the 130 Trailblazers honored for their exemplary work!  http://essexheritage.org/essex-heritage-hosts-20th-anniversary
Arabia Mountain NHA sign construction begins

Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance and DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Johnson held a media event in March regarding the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area signage program in DeKalb County, Georgia. The event announced the kickoff of signage construction and unveiled stones donated by the Lithonia Quarry and concept drawings for the project.

The signage program concepts were developed several years ago to enhance the experiences of the thousands of tourists, adventure seekers and history enthusiasts visiting the Arabia Mountain NHA annually. When fully implemented, this professionally-designed, comprehensive signage program will welcome and direct visitors to venues of historic and natural importance, and highlight gateways to recreational activities.

The Arabia Mountain NHA includes portions of DeKalb, Rockdale and Henry Counties with nearly 18 miles of paved hike/bike trails in DeKalb County, and includes historic and natural sites such as the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve and Flat Rock Archives.
Discover the Erie Canal at 200!
Find Great Experiences During Canal's Bicentennial Year

As NYS Canal System kicks off its bicentennial, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor released nine new itineraries to lead people to great places and experiences within the national heritage corridor. The itineraries showcase some of the best historic sites, national and state parks, museums, and recreational experiences and are suited for weekend and day trips. Suggestions for cycling, hiking, paddling, and canal tours, and nearby places to eat or picnic.

The itineraries are available to download for free at https://eriecanalway.org/explore/itineraries.

Strong collaboration among national, state, and local partners made this project possible. Erie Canalway itineraries were funded with support from the NPS and Empire State Development's Market NY program, part of the State's Regional Economic Development Council awards. Each one features a national or state park along with nearby historic sites and canal recreation experiences.
D&L National Heritage Corridor and National Canal Museum Merge 

Following a three year transition, the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (D&L) merged with the National Canal Museum (NCM). The transition allowed the D&L to integrate the finance, management, marketing, and development functions of the two organizations to create a solid foundation. Together they will expand the reach of the canal's story with traveling programming and exhibits.

"Together the D&L and the National Canal Museum are better and stronger than we were just a few years ago. Combining the museum's reach of 10,000 people annually with the D&L Trails' reach of over 280,000 people annually strengthens the D&L's ability to tell a nationally significant story and connect all 165 miles of the D&L Trail by 2020,"  said D&L Executive Director, Elissa Garofalo. 

"By completing this merger, the D&L embraces the responsibility of sharing the remarkable story of the Delaware and Lehigh canals and their contributions to our nation's Industrial Revolution," said D&L Board of Directors Chair, Michael Drabenstott. "It's a story of innovation, ingenuity, and determination that has significant relevance today. It will be our honor to find innovative and compelling ways to bring this story to people along the entire corridor from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol."
MPNHA celebrates restoration 

Completion of a nearly 40-year historic restoration project was celebrated in Spring City, Utah in May. The $1.8 million project restored a historic 1899 school building to function as  city offices, city court, city council chambers, a museum, office and business space and a grand ballroom for community functions. 

The project began in 1979 after the local Daughters of the Utah Pioneers bought it from the North Sanpete School District for $10 in a last-ditch effort to save the building. In 1983 they turned the building over to Spring City which formed the  Friends of Historic Spring City to raise funds. For the first 20 years, lacking restoration funds, apart from a new roof, FHSP left the building sitting idle.

In 2002 as funds become available, work begin on seismic upgrades. As they received grants from organizations such as the Eccles Foundation and Mormon Pioneer NHA, the restoration work began in earnest. Today, the building is renewed.
Conservation Legacy Outreach program Intern in Cache la Poudre NHA 
 Leah Davis On the Trail to Health

Hailey Groo is serving as the Marketing and Community Outreach Intern for the Poudre Heritage Alliance (PDA) as part of the NPS Conservation Legacy Outreach program. She is working on community engagement surrounding the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area's wellness program, "On the Trail to Health, Heritage, and Happiness." For information about the wellness program visit  poudreheritage.org/wellness-programGroo is adapting the wellness program for youth and schools. 
New Commissioners Appointed 

Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission welcomes new Commissioners nominated by State Historic Preservation Officers and appointed by the Secretary of the Interior for three-year terms, joining members Emory Campbell, Danny Cromer, Willie Heyward, David Frank, Griffin Lotson and Althea Sumpter. 
Front row from left: Commissioners Sumpter, Hoskins-Brown, Hardy, Cromer, Lotson. Back: Frazier, Campbell, Smalls, Pyatt,Heyward, Frank, Fullwood. Photo courtesy of James Fullwood

North Carolina:  James Fullwood,  a retired state official, is restoring a school house built by his great-great-grandfather, a blacksmith who was once enslaved.
 
Sean Palmer:  Director of the Upperman African American Cultural Center at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

South Carolina:  Herb Frazier,  marketing and public relations manager at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, is co-author of "We Are Charleston: Tragedy and Triumph at Mother Emanuel."

Sherman Pyatt ,  a librarian, archivist, and author of The Other Side of the Skillet: Healthy and Alternative Eating in the Lowcountry.

Victoria Smalls  is director of history, art and culture at Penn Center, serves on the S.C. African American Heritage Commission and the Gullah Geechee Consortium of Beaufort County. 
 
Georgia: 
Dionne Hoskins-Brown  is a biologist with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and director of NOAA programs at Savannah State University. 

Florida: Meredith Hardy is an  archaeologist and coordinator for NPS at the Southeast Archeological Center and program manager for Christiansted NHS on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. 
Bike Share Programs Continue to Grow

BikeScranton, a free bike share program hosted by Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area (LHV), continues to thrive w ith funding from the Northeastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Foundation. LHV will introduce BikeCarbondale at the Grand Hotel and the Greater Carbondale YMCA. 

Construction on the Riverwalk in Carbondale began in the fall of 2016 on a 1.2 mile section of trail that will connect Carbondale to a 2.2 mile section of trail in Fell Township to link the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail to the D&H Rail-Trail later this year.  
Schuylkill River Heritage Area Names New Executive Director

The Schuylkill River Heritage Area Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Elaine Paul Schaefer is the new executive director. Schaefer took the helm on May 15.

"I am so thrilled to be joining the well-respected team of staff and board members at SRHA," Schaefer said. "Our mission encompasses issues about which I am very passionate and eager to champion, including preserving and promoting the distinctive natural, historic and cultural resources in the five county region of the Schuylkill River watershed."
 
Schaefer is an attorney who is currently the president of the Radnor Township Board of Commissioners, where she has held a seat since 2010. Schaefer co-founded the Radnor Conservancy, where she was president of the board of directors and executive director. She is also a director for the Delaware County Conservation District and served on many boards, including the Radnor League of Women Voters and the Radnor Educational Foundation.

The updated version of  The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring and Reconstructing Historic Buildings was released and is now available in  PDF format from the NPS website.

The Guidelines were updated to ensure that they continue to reflect best practices in historic preservation, apply to 20th-century building types, materials, and systems now considered historic, and incorporate modern methods and technologies. The Standards themselves have not been changed.  Additional information  about the updated guidelines describing the changes that were made from the prior version of the publication is also available. The publication is available in online and to purchase from the Government Printing Office.
2017 - 2nd Quarter
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Check it out!  Submit a story

Another great way to share your story is The Alliance for National Heritage Area's website. Submit here!  nationalheritageareas.us/
Webinar on Volunteerism 

The National Park Foundation (NPF) will host a  webinar on July 19 on volunteerism and service for philanthropic partners of national parks from 3:00pm - 4:00pm ET. Register here 

The South Carolina National Heritage Corridor partnered with one of their local communities to promote the amazing outdoor adventure opportunities found at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Watch it here.
Monthly NHA Best Practices Call
J oin the award winning monthly best practices calls to hear about great  programs in NHAs.  Contact Heather Wickens hwickens@lflhc.org  to join calls.
Register here .
Scaling Up Webinar 
7/19 4 PM ET Register 

NatureServe's Lori Scott and LandScope Chesapeake Coordinator Nicholas Moy will present LandScope America, a user-friendly, online mapping tool that supports conservation planning. Participants will take a guided tour of the tools and spatial data available through LandScope Chesapeake, including new watershed-wide priority conservation goal maps.
In This Issue
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Crossroads of the American Revolution  National Heritage Area











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National Park Service Program Staff

W ashington Office: 
Martha Raymond,
National Coordinator

Katie Durcan
Assistant National Coordinator: 

Elizabeth Vehmeyer
Assistant National Coordinator: 
elizabeth_vehmeyer@nps.gov 

Peter Samuel, Northeast Region 

Teresa E. Watson, Southeast Region
Teresa_Watson@nps.gov

Chris Stein, Midwest Region 
chris_stein@nps.gov 

Alex Hernandez,  Intermountain Region
Linda Stonier, Pacific West Region

Sharon Kim, Alaska Region

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Articles written and submitted by National Heritage Area staff
edited by Katie Callahan Durcan
National Heritage Area Program, The National Park Service
contact: Katie_Durcan@nps.gov