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Heritage areas begin to organize

By February 23, 2010General

  

 
This rocky wall is called "The Face" at Tuscumbia Landing in Alabama. It will be one of the attractions in the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area. From, left to right, Dr. Priscilla Holland, University of North Alabama; Heather Kovarcik, Delta State University; Annie Cooper, Southern Anthropological Institute; Judy Sizemore, director of the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area; Lee Aylward, Delta State University; Gail Tate, seated, Southeastern  Anthropological Institute; Chris Abbett, assistant regional director, National Park Service; back, C.T. Wilson, Southeastern Anthropological Institute, and Mike Russo, regional representative, National Park Service.

 

The Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area hosted a meeting between National Park Service officials and representatives of National Heritage Areas in the mid South last week. The Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area was represented by Lee Aylward and Heather Kovarcik, of the Delta State University Delta Center for Culture and Learning. 

 

Other participants represented the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area and the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area. The meeting was primarily designed to introduce new heritage areas to some of the legal issues involved in developing a management plan and expending federal funds. The Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area was created when President Obama signed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 last March. It promises to focus the nation’s attention on the heritage of the Delta and promote the economy through increased heritage tourism.