News Release
Jan. 17, 2013
Muscle Shoals National
Heritage Area
University
of North Alabama
One
Harrison Place, UNA Box 5231
Florence,
AL 35632-0001
msnha.una.edu
256.765.5028 msnha@una.edu
Public meetings set for MSNHA
management plan
FLORENCE,
Ala. … After almost two years of compiling a management plan for the Muscle
Shoals National Heritage Area, organizers will present a draft of the plan and
answer questions in public meetings set for 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, at Muscle
Shoals City Hall, Avalon Avenue; and 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, at Turner-Surles
Community Center, 702 Sycamore St., Decatur.
“The
management plan is a framework for us, a constitution that will govern how
MSNHA operates,” said Judy Sizemore, MSNHA executive director. “It includes an
interpretative plan with comprehensive actions and strategies for telling the
area’s stories as well as a business plan and goals for the future.”
Shortly after
the two public meetings, there will be a period of time when MSNHA will accept
comments on the plan before revising it and submitting the final draft to the
National Park Service, which oversees the National Heritage Area program.
Congress has
designated 49 National Heritage Areas across the country in recognition of
historical and cultural significance and natural resources. Operating under the
University of North Alabama, in Florence, the MSNHA preserves and promotes the
history and culture of a six-county region in northwest Alabama. It is the only
National Heritage Area in Alabama.
Sizemore and
a planning team worked for 18 months to gather data and put the management plan
together.
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ABOUT MSNHA:
The Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area (MSNHA), which operates under the University of North Alabama, was officially designated by Congress in 2009. The heritage area spans across six counties within the Tennessee River waterbasin of North Alabama and was developed to help preserve the history of this region.
MSNHA began to take form in 1993, following a visionary community event, "Muscle Shoals Reconsidered". During this conference, community leaders addressed the issue of how to create a relationship between the cultural aspects of the region and the area's quality of life. Following a second conference, "Muscle Shoals Reconsidered II", two committees were developed to further explore the issue and in 2000, a study of the cultural heritage of the Muscle Shoals Region was produced. This study identified opportunities for coalition building, established an inventory of assets, weighed the liabilities, and validated assumptions. The study also helped better define the themes, boundaries, and stories of the Muscle Shoals region. In 2001, Alabama Representative Robert "Bud" Cramer introduced legislation into the House of Representatives, directing the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of establishing the MSNHA. The legislation was signed into law in 2002 and the designation was approved in 2009.
MSNHA is comprised of Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone,and Morgan counties Alabama.
About National Heritage Areas
The National Heritage Area (NHA) program, established by the Department of Interior and the National Park Service, recognizes regions throughout the US that have significant historical, cultural, or natural features that help tell a national story of the country's evolution. National heritage areas are designated by Congress and must meet strict requirements. For more information about national heritage areas, visit the (http://www.nps.gov/history/heritageareas/) National Heritage Areas website.
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