WACO Historical Society Field

Anyone doubting the value of heritage tourism to local economies should come to Troy, Ohio in August. They won't be alone: thousands of visitors are expected to flock here when the Grammy Award-winning Mumford and Sons' Gentlemen of the Road Stopovers tour arrives for a two-day music festival on Aug. 30-31. Featuring Mumford & Sons and several other bands, it's one of only three U.S. stopovers in the band's tour.

Known for choosing out-of-the-way places for its stopovers, Mumford & Sons picked Troy in part because it's the home of the WACO Historical Society, an aviation heritage nonprofit that preserves the history of the WACO airplane company that produced thousands of airplanes in Troy from the 1920s through the 1940s. Mumford & Sons even made a WACO biplane the symbol for its Troy stopover. The historical society's museum and learning center, located on its own grass airfield, will be a park-and-ride location for the stopover.

"The WACO Historical Society is extremely proud that the aviation heritage it presents to the public is helping to draw these major events to Troy and the Miami Valley," said Gretchen Hawk, executive director.

The historical society is one of 15 partners in the National Aviation Heritage Alliance (NAHA), the congressionally designated management entity of the National Aviation Heritage Area-where the Wright brothers lived, invented the airplane and built America's first purpose-built airplane factory.

The musical stopover is just one of two big events that Aviation Heritage is helping to draw to the region. Troy and WACO Field will also be a stopover location for the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure's (GOBA's) 25th Reunion Tour in June. GOBA, a widely known weeklong bicycle camping tour, typically registers approximately 3,000 cyclists. The WACO Historical Society will offer biplane rides as well as aviation-related family activities. GOBA begins in Urbana, Ohio, where cyclists will visit another NAHA partner's site, the Champaign Aviation Museum on historic Grimes Field-Urbana Municipal Airport, also the home of the Grimes Flying Lab Foundation, a NAHA partner that flies a restored testbed airplane that was used in the development of aircraft lighting systems.  

For more information contact Timothy Gaffney at 937.219.8277 or trg@aviationheritagearea.org 

Community trail-building in the Ohio & Erie Canalway  

Fueled by determination, volunteers built the 2.7 mile Towpath Trail extension.

A Clean Ohio Grant enabled the purchase of land for the Zoar to Zoarville connection at the southern end of the 81+ mile Towpath. But there were scarce resources for the actual trail. Fueled by pure determination and a commitment to working together - volunteers joined forces with the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition (OECC) - one of the Canalway's two NHA Founding Organizations - to build the 2.7 mile Towpath Trail extension. The work was done mostly by hand, on weekends, and with tools brought from home or loaned by local businesses.

"From the start, this project has been an amazing volunteer effort," states Dan Rice, Co-Executive Director of the Canalway. "Whether it was steak dinner fundraisers to buy lumber or showing up with chain saws to clear trees - the people of Tuscarawas County have responded with tenacious enthusiasm to extend the Towpath Trail in their area."

The most recent step in the project: Building boardwalk sections to transverse two 150' stretches designated as wetlands by the Army Corps of Engineers. "We built the frames - 72 of them at 150 pounds each," notes OECC Project Manager George Ebey. "This is an area where people ride horses, so the sections needed to be sturdy," he adds with a smile. "Next, we're inviting the community out to help drill the post holes, move the frames onto tractors, and take them to the Towpath for installation." 

"By marshaling local resources to construct the trail, it's resulted in the community feeling personal ownership in a project they've literally hand-built," notes Rice. "At its heart, it's simply a great tribute to the power of community."  

New Erie Canalway Video Helps Reach New Audiences
 

Erie Canal - Take the Road Less Traveled

Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor produced a video-slideshow to inspire visitation to America's legendary Erie Canal in 2013. Take the Road Less Traveled has been viewed more than 1,000 times since its release on YouTube in mid-February. Testimonials like these are providing good feedback that the video is having an impact:

 
 �  New video from the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor makes me long to hop on my bike and start across our state!

� Great video! One day I hope to do more on the Erie Canal!

� LOVED the video. Love the Canal...finally AMERICA is embracing one of its most lovely features the way the EU always has.

Watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPTnMPnAi4Q

To learn more about the video and software used to produce it, contact Jean Mackay, Director of Communications and Outreach at ECNHC at jean_mackay@partner.nps.govor 518-237-7000 ext. 222. 

Blue Ridge Music Trails Project moves forward

Two professionals with extensive experience in music, arts education, marketing and fundraising were selected by the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership (BRNHA) to guide the development of the Blue Ridge Music Trails project, a joint initiative of the BRNHA and the NC Arts Council.

Dale Bartlett, the new coordinator, has years of expertise in organization, planning, tourism marketing and fund development. Bartlett served on the Henderson County Heritage Council, an initiative of volunteers started by the Partnership who created county heritage plans that served as the blueprint for the BRNHA's management plan.

The BRNHA Partnership also contracted with well-known musician Laura Boosinger, who will serve as a consultant on the project and as a liaison with the music community in Western North Carolina. 

"We feel that the combination of skills, connections, and experience of these two professionals will serve to bring this project to fruition in the coming months and bolster the rich music heritage of our NC mountains and foothills," stated Angie Chandler, Executive Director BRNHA.

Background of Blue Ridge Music Trails Initiative:

In 2010 the N.C. Arts Council received funding support from the North Carolina Department of Transportation to update the Blue Ridge Music Trails Guidebook, originally produced in 2003, in addition to producing a regional map to the music venues.

Working with the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership and community leaders, it was determined that this was an opportunity to focus on Western North Carolina's music traditions to strengthen awareness about the music of the region and enable mountain communities to utilize music traditions for economic development.

"Authentic experiences are important factors in travel decisions and expectations," said Wayne Martin, Executive Director of the N.C. Arts Council. "Cultural visitors want to participate in North Carolina's arts traditions and, in turn, they support the artists and communities that sustain those traditions. Our partnership with the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area to promote Western North Carolina's music heritage will provide content that is not currently accessible to many visitors by focusing on the places and the musicians that have played a role in making the region a cultural treasure."

The updated guidebook will be available in April. The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership will jointly develop a website and take on responsibility for other marketing materials and organizing events that will bring the music heritage of Western North Carolina to the forefront, support area musicians and venues, and strengthen the economic impact of music in this region. 

Courtesy of the Hope and Sunrise Historical Society.

The Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area (KMTA) in Alaska is gearing up for what promises to be a busy season of summer projects to enhance and promote the rich and varied resources of the KMTA area including introducing new high school curriculum and field trip grants to provide transportation to KMTA NHA sites. The new curriculum was developed with a grant from the Alaska Humanities Forum to meet state requirements. The introduction of new curriculum this spring will be followed up in the fall with possible in-service teacher training.

KMTA's signage plan is poised to launch this summer, introducing travelers and residents to this unique National Heritage Area through welcome and interpretive signs. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center will launch the interpretive portion of the plan; and the new Nordic ski trails in Girdwood will use KMTA NHA signage templates for interpretation of their newly completed trails. Welcome signs are in the planning stages for several communities.

Following two years of public meetings and input from communities and government entities within the KMTA National Heritage Area, the KMTA Management Plan was approved by the Secretary of the Interior. It is available on the KMTA NHA website: www.kmtacorridor.org

Other successful projects in the past year include:

Dedication of Iditarod Monument. Partners: Seward Iditarod Trail Blazers, City of Seward, Afognak Construction, Alaska Sea Life Center, Seward Community Library Museum, Seward Ships' Drydock, private donors.

Dedication of Seward Mariner's Memorial. Partners: Seward Mariner's Memorial Committee, City of Seward, Seward Rotary, Seward Harbor, Harmon Construction, West Construction, Chinooks Waterfront, Kenai Fjords Yacht Club, private donors.

Manitoba Cabin Restoration. Partners: Alaska Huts Association, State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Alaska Forest Products Program of the University of Alaska, Robinson Millwork, local lumber suppliers, H&L Construction, cadre of volunteers.

Lindgren Historic Trapping Cabin Interpretive Program. Partners: Kenaitze Indian Tribe.

Hope Museum Development Coordinator. Partners: Hope and Sunrise Historical Society, and Hope Inc. This project is a prototype of the kind of work KMTA NHA is doing to support museums in developing programs.

Cyclists on the Clipper City Rail Trail

Essex Heritage brings a regional focus to the importance of developing, maintaining and promoting trails to grow tourism and improve the quality of life in the Essex National Heritage Area.  New trails are emerging, showcasing the area's spectacular natural heritage, beaches, marshes, wildlife and birds while providing recreational access between resources, town centers, neighborhoods and schools. 

Essex was instrumental in developing two regional trails: the Coastal Trails Network and the Border to Boston Trail including over 12 miles of new off-road trails and nearly 10 miles of enhanced on-road bicycling routes. In addition, approximately 16 miles of former rail rights-of-way are being designed for reuse as shared use paths. Several neighboring communities were also inspired to envision new multi-use trails.

Early on, Essex Heritage formed partnerships with trail advocates and local leaders that resulted in public agency participation and critical early funding.  The NPS RTCA Program participated and their expertise was instrumental in establishing a project-focused, results-oriented ethic among the volunteers and staff working on these complex projects.

Coastal Trails Network: is an emerging 30-mile system of inter-connected bicycle and pedestrian trails linking coastal features, town centers, neighborhoods and transportation hubs in four communities in the northern part of the heritage area.

Border to Boston Trail: is an emerging 28-mile shared use trail linking eight communities from the New Hampshire border to Boston's North Shore. The rail-trail connects town centers, neighborhoods, schools, parks, recreational facilities and natural areas. It is becoming one of the region's outstanding assets, facilitating safe, scenic, healthy transportation and recreation.

Niagara Falls Interpretive Workshop 

Toni Dufficy, NPS, leads workshop with Niagara Falls NHA Commissioners

The Long-Range Interpretive Plan will be based on the four themes of the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area: Natural Phenomenon, Tourism and Recreation, Power and Industry, and Borderland/Border Crossing. An interpretive theme matrix, developed by Joanne Blacoe from the NPS Northeast Regional Office, is helping create a vision of the interpretive plan for commissioners and stakeholders. The process for developing this plan began with a tour of the area and meetings with partner sites.

In March, Toni Dufficey will return to the area for another workshop with commissioners and stakeholders to develop the recommendation phases of the Long Range Interpretive Plan. The project is expected to be completed in September.

Photo courtesy of NPS

"For those who don't know, the Great Flood of 1913 was the flood that changed everything. It ended the Ohio & Erie Canal. The U.S. impact was more widespread than Katrina & Sandy. And, it created heroes in unlikely places and brought a nation together," notes Canalway Co-Executive Director Tim Donovan.

"We've created a regional platform on the Canalway visitor website to share information related to the history, interpretive partner events and efforts taking place in the National Heritage Area to commemorate the Flood," adds Donovan.

The project also provides a teaching moment - allowing organizations to share flood preparedness tips from the Silver Jackets and Watershed Stewardship efforts from the National Park Service. The Silver Jackets program provides a formal and consistent strategy for an interagency approach to planning and implementing measures to reduce the risks associated with flooding and other natural hazards at the state level with Federal agency partners.  

To revisit the Great Flood of 1913 in the Ohio & Erie Canalway, head here:http://www.ohioanderiecanalway.com/Main/Pages/106.aspx 

Grants Boost Education, Preservation, and Tourism in Erie Canal

The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission recently 

Congresswoman Louise Slaughter and Erie Canalway representatives.

announced $45,800 in grants to assist nine organizations with telling the story of New York's canals through education, tourism and preservation projects. Congressman Paul Tonko and Congresswomen Louise Slaughter joined heritage area representatives to hand out big checks at media events.

 "From bicycling to the Underground Railroad to a museum exhibit, these investments promote tourism and education. But they also reflect our pride in our region, and better our sense of place," said Congressman Tonko, co-chair of the National Heritage Area Congressional Caucus. "I commend the Canalway for their tireless work with local stakeholders and communities along the 363-mile stretch of the Erie Canal that enables us to capture and share stories and heritage expression for generations to come."

"These grants will do more than remind us where we've been -- they will show us where we have the potential to go," said Congresswoman Slaughter. "The Erie Canal reminds us that when we come together to invest in modern infrastructure projects, we all reap the rewards in the end, and we should never lose sight of this as we address the economic challenges of future generations."

Learn more about the projects, visit http://www.eriecanalway.org/get-involved_grants-fund.htm 

Members of the Alliance of National Heritage Areas in Washington D.C.

Directors of National Heritage Area organizations gathered for their annual meeting in Washington D.C. to network with each other, hear the reslts for the NPS/ANHA economic report, and meet with their congressional representatives.

The Alliance of National Heritage Areas (ANHA) is a membership organization of NHAs focused on raising awareness of the benefits of NHAs to the public sector and private citizens and fostering educational opportunities and partnerships within the heritage development field.

NPS Director Jon Jarvis was on hand to offer strong support and encouraging words at the Alliance of National Heritage Area's Congressional Reception. 

Articles written and submitted by National Heritage Area staff

Edited by Katie Durcan

National Heritage Area Program, National Park Service