Maryland Heritage Areas Program, Charting A Sustainable Course for the Next Decade: 2010-2020, Approved by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, October 2009

Subtitled "A 10-YEAR PLAN FOR SUSTAINABILITY: Defining management and programmatic goals, with recommended strategies, operating policies and procedures, timelines, and evaluation systems for implementation." From introduction: "Since its creation in 1996, the Maryland Heritage Areas Program has enjoyed steady growth, enthusiastic private and public support, and a record of achievement. Each of Maryland's 11 Certified Heritage Areas (CHA) is defined by a distinct focus or theme and exhibit tangible evidence of the area's heritage in historic buildings and districts, archaeological sites, cultural traditions, singular natural landscapes, as well as other resources such as museums, parks, and traditional ways of life as revealed in food, music, and art. Since the program's inception, the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA) has awarded over $18 million in financial assistance and leveraged approximately $70 million in non-state funds for heritage tourism projects and activities. The program's intense planning process has been invaluable as an impetus for national, regional and local cooperation - bringing citizen, government, and business interests together. Collaboration among sister state agencies serving on the MHAA and its Technical Advisory Committee is a cornerstone of the program's success. Strategic Planning Process Recognized with a Preserve America Presidential Award in 2007, the Maryland Heritage Areas Program is a national model for heritage tourism development. Strategic planning provided a framework for evaluation and will ensure effective and efficient use of resources in the future. In the spring of 2008, MHAA initiated development of a strategic plan for the program. Generously funded in part by a National Park Service Preserve America grant, primary objectives included: Assessment of the progress made in accomplishing the purposes of the Program's authorizing legislation and goals to date; Analysis of the strengths and challenges of the Program's organizational framework and identification of the critical ingredients for sustaining success; development of program performance measures; and, Identification of concrete strategies with short, mid, and long term implementation steps that will permit the program to advance its tourism and preservation agenda over the next 5 to 10 years." Funding for this item was provided in part through a 2007 Preserve America grant to the Maryland Historical Trust (grant number 24-07-PA-3065) for the Maryland Heritage Areas Program Strategic Plan. The grant was administered by the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Preserve America is a federal initiative that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve and enjoy our priceless cultural and natural heritage. The goals of the program include a greater shared knowledge about the nation's past, strengthened regional identities and local pride, increased local participation in preserving the country's cultural and natural heritage assets, and support for the economic vitality of our communities.

Maryland Heritage Areas Program, Charting A Sustainable Course for the Next Decade: 2010-2020, Approved by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, October 2009

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