Heritage Groups Explore Potential for Regional Maritime Heritage Area
December 7, 2007 - Maritime heritage organizations in western Washington State are exploring the creation of a "Maritime National Heritage Area," which would raise public awareness of the region's rich maritime heritage. A designation, if approved by Congress, would boost efforts to preserve historic ships, lighthouses, and traditional maritime skills and offer access to as much as $900,000 annually for heritage tourism, interpretation, promotion, and development projects. A Puget Sound-based heritage area was discussed by 4Culture's Seattle / King County Task Force on Maritime Heritage in 2005.
"National heritage areas often come about when an area is facing economic change," says Brenda Barrett, former national coordinator for the heritage areas program, which is managed by the National Park Service. "The change puts stress on traditional behavior, that is, the way people make their living." In the Puget Sound region, especially Seattle, the growing importance of high-technology has overshadowed traditional industries such as fishing and maritime commerce. A heritage area can highlight the value of local maritime traditions and historic resources.
The state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation has requested $150,000 in the upcoming governor's budget to fund a feasibility study, the first step in the designation process. The study would include an assessment of cultural resources; identification of project partners and their roles; identification of a proposed management entity; a preliminary organizational framework and financial plan; and a proposed heritage area boundary map. The study would cover Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Pacific shoreline.
The Park Service defines national heritage areas as places where natural, cultural, historic, and recreational resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally distinctive landscape arising from patterns of human activity shaped by geography. Congress has named 37 heritage areas, most of them in the eastern U.S. Heritage areas focus on a theme, such as agriculture or the history of the automobile; the Essex National Heritage Area revolves around the maritime history of New England.
National heritage areas encourage cooperation among heritage organizations with shared interests, and they provide a marketing opportunity for local tourism businesses. Unlike a national park, which is owned and operated by the federal government, a heritage area is managed locally, over a complex matrix of public and private land. The Park Service helps with technical assistance.
4Culture and its Maritime Heritage Initiative partners, including the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, the Youth Maritime Training Association, the Center for Wooden Boats, the Museum of History & Industry, and Historic Seattle, started the effort. The Pacific Northwest Maritime Heritage Council, which includes many of the state's maritime heritage organizations, is also taking a lead role.
For further information on the proposed Maritime National Heritage Area, contact Chuck Fowler, Pacific Northwest Maritime Heritage Council at 360-943-2858, nwnx@comcast.net.
related links
|
