Cayuga County, Finger Lakes region inch closer to becoming national heritage area
Duncan Morrow
Auburn (NY) Citizen
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Cayuga County, Finger Lakes region inch closer to becoming national heritage area
A National Park Service study determined the Finger Lakes region, including Cayuga County, meets the criteria for a national heritage area designation.
The feasibility study focused on a 14-county area — Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Livingston, Monroe, Onondaga, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins Wayne and Yates — and assessed the region's cultural, historic and natural resources. It also gauged whether there is support for national heritage area status and identified a coordinating entity, the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance.
In the report's executive summary, the National Park Service wrote that the region "appears to meet the 10 national heritage area evaluation criteria and is found eligible according to NPS guidelines for potential heritage areas."
A national heritage area differs from a national park. A national heritage area is not considered a unit operated by the National Park Service. According to the agency's website, it will partner with entities and provide technical assistance to heritage areas.
The benefits of a national heritage area, according to the National Park Service, include sustainable economic development, education and stewardship, community engagement, improved quality of life and a healthy environment.
There are 62 national heritage areas, including four in New York — Champlain Valley, Erie Canalway, Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley and Niagara Falls.
The effort to pursue a national heritage area designation for the Finger Lakes region began in 2017. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand introduced a bill that would require the National Park Service to conduct the feasibility study. In 2019, the legislation was included in a natural resources bill that was signed by then-President Donald Trump.
In a statement provided to The Citizen, Gillibrand said she is excited that the National Park Service has "completed the first step in the process" of designating the Finger Lakes as a national heritage area. But, she added, the work isn't over. She will introduce a bill to formally establish the Finger Lakes National Heritage Area. Congress must pass legislation to designate new national heritage areas.
"I look forward to continuing to work with the National Park Service, Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance and other local leaders to get this done and help draw visitors to this world-class destination and highlight the breathtaking beauty and natural resources of the Finger Lakes region," Gillibrand said.
Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert....@lee.net.