President Biden Signs Legislation To Re-Authorize National Heritage Areas in Massachusetts

In full transparency, the following is a media release from Sen. Ed Markey, who was elected by voters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to serve the state in Washington DC in the US Senate. He is a Democrat. (stock photo) SOURCE publishes press release from elected leaders as a community service.

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WASHINGTON DC – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), the lead sponsor of the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area Act of 2021 and legislation to protect the Essex National Heritage Area, celebrated the signing of the National Heritage Area Act into law by President Joe Biden this week, which extends the authorization of the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area, the Essex National Heritage Area, the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, the Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor, and the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area to September 30, 2037.

This provides certainty for heritage areas and corridors throughout Massachusetts, preserving their invaluable contributions to local economies and cultural understanding.

The National Heritage Area Act also increases the funding cap for the Essex National Heritage Area and the Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor, achieving key goals of Senator Markey’s legislation. Senator Markey was an original cosponsor of the bipartisan National Heritage Area Act. 

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“I am proud to have supported and worked to pass this legislation, which provides certainty to the organizations that protect thousands of the culturally significant places in Massachusetts that tell the story of our nation,” said Senator Markey. “We must recognize and preserve the unique identities of our heritage areas and corridors, which empower diverse communities to voice their stories. I will continue to push for investments in Massachusetts’s natural and historic landscape that strengthen its local economies and forge a deeper bond with our country’s past, present, and future.” 

The Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area, which Congress designated in 2009 to protect and educate visitors about the region where the American Revolution began, spans 994 square miles and includes 45 communities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The Essex National Heritage Area covers 34 cities and towns, spurs more than $150 million in economic impact every year, and supports thousands of jobs annually. 

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In 2021, Senator Markey introduced the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area Act of 2021 and reintroduced legislation to protect the Essex National Heritage Area to eliminate the funding cap and extend the authorization for both heritage areas to 2036

Read the text of the bill here.