January 21 , 2021
Board of Directors
Tom Michaud Chair Sunrise Opportunities
Kay Kimball Vice Chair University of Maine System
Lucas Morris Treasurer Machias Savings Bank
Scott Beal Woodland Pulp
Elizabeth Neptune Neptune Advantage
Mike Sansing Bar Harbor Foods
Dan Qualls University of Maine at Machias
William Cody Calais Regional Hospital
Susan Mingo Washington County Community College
Brian Frutchey The By “ US ” Company
Ardis Brown Town of Danforth
Ex-Officio
Betsy Fitzgerald Secretary Washington County Commissioners
Representative Will Tuell Washington County Legislative Delegation
To : Local and Regional Delegates of Washington and Hancock Counties From : Sunrise County Economic Council , Crystal Hitchings Regarding : Establishment of a National Heritage Area in DownEast Acadia
Dear Delegates of Washington and Hancock Counties ,
I am writing to share information with you about a local initiative to establish a National Heritage Area in parts of Washington and Hancock counties .
The idea was introduced by wild blueberry growers as a tool to bring national attention to the locally unique and important wild blueberry . People across the region gathered several times in 2019 with State Delegates and State and Federal agencies to explore this possibility . Community members voiced support and also the need to tell our heritage story around broader natural resource-based topics , including our diverse fisheries , forest products , and tourism industries past and present .
Several donors funded the cost of conducting a Feasibility Study , coordinated by Sunrise County Economic Council . The Feasibility Study is the required first step of the process . It identifies cultural and natural resources that exemplify a region ' s unique story and national significance . The study also determines if we have the community support and commitment needed to sustain a successful National Heritage Area program .
The National Heritage Area Program ( NHA ) is a Federal program funded by Department of the Interior , supported by the National Park Service , and managed by a local collaboration . Designation as an NHA is awarded through Congressional legislation proposed by our State delegates .
A National Heritage Area is NOT a unit of the National Park Service , but the NPS does provide technical support to the local managing entity . NHAs do NOT affect any local land use rights or local land use laws and are NOT intended as tools to influence local land use decisions . An NHA does NOT hold ownership of any land . The NHA designation refers to an area within a conceptual boundary that defines where our heritage story is best told .
National Heritage Areas are places where the unique interplay of human activity and natural features have influenced each other and co-evolved over time in a manner that reflects our collective heritage as a nation . NHAs are places where that relationship between people and place is alive today , and the natural and cultural heritage remains intact .
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Sunrise County Economic Council * 7 Ames Way , Machias , ME 04654 Tel : 207.255.0983 * www . sunrisecounty . org