Congress has established 40 National Heritage Areas around the country in which conservation, interpretation and other activities are managed by partnerships among federal, state, and local governments and the private sector.

The National Park Service provides technical assistance as well as financial assistance for a limited number of years following designation.

Current News

3 New National Heritage Areas Join the National Park Service Family

President Bush signed Public Law 110-229, the Consolidated
Natural Resources Act of 2008, into law on May 8th 2008. The bill created 3 new National Heritage Areas, raising the total number of areas to 40. The new NHAs are home to an impressive array of cultural and natural resources. The Niagara Falls National Heritage Area, located in upstate New York, stretches along the Niagara River from the western boundary of Wheatfield to Lake Ontario and includes the City of Niagara Falls, the villages of Youngstown and Lewiston, and all land and water lying within these boundaries.The Journey
Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area extends across four states, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. It follows
the route of the Old Carolina Road (Rt. 15/231) from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home in Albemarle County,
VA. Finally, the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area encompasses a large portion of central Illinois, incorporating a number of sites
where the former President traveled and lived.

New National Coordinator for Heritage Areas Named

Martha Raymond has been selected as the National Coordinator for Heritage Areas, providing budget, legislative and policy support to the 40 congressionally designated heritage areas.

Raymond has over 25 years experience in historic preservation and cultural resource management. At both the National Park Service and Ohio Historic Preservation Office, she has worked closely with federal and state agencies, local governments and community groups. As head of the Ohio Historic Preservation Office’s Technical Preservation Services Department, she led historic tax credit and preservation technical assistance programs. She also led the Section 106 program as head of the state office’s Technical and Review Services Department.

Prior to joining the Ohio Historic Preservation Office, Raymond was a supervisory historian with the National Park Service’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Office and worked with the Historic American Engineering Record and the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. She holds a M.S. in historic preservation from Columbia University and undergraduate degrees in art history and psychology from the University of Virginia.

Heritage Areas Bulletin
To read this month's Heritage Area Bulletin, click here.

Legislative Update - Bills Related to Heritage Areas in the 110 Congress

Charting a Future for National Heritage Areas: A Report by the National ParkSystem Advisory Board presents case studies and recommendations on the future of the National Heritage Areas in the National Park System. Click here to view the report.

Learn more about Feasibility Studies and Management Plans here

Passport to Your National Parks©
To find passport stamping stamps in the national heritage areas, click here.