The National Park Service defines National Heritage Areas as places " designated by Congress as places where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape. Through their resources, NHAs tell nationally important stories that celebrate our nation's diverse heritage." These living landscapes embrace culture, preservation, foodways, music, natural resources, industrial history, migration patterns and development patterns. Heritage areas allow for a holistic approach to preserving the aspects that make a place distinctive while interpreting it for visitors providing flexibility to address the needs of those who live within it. Heritage Area designation does not abridge private property rights or change property ownership. It creates a framework for public/private partnerships that can advance the goals of the local community, balancing quality of life with tourism infrastructure and historic preservation. In addition to National Heritage Areas designated by Congress, many states have adopted their own Heritage Area programs.
Hanbury Preservation Consulting has experience with Heritage Area feasibility studies, management planning and project implementation
- Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area Management Plan
- Feasibility Study for the Rivers to Sound to Sea National Heritage Area
- Assessment and Plan for Thurgood Marshall's Elementary School, P.S. 103 Baltimore