NYS Heritage Areas Program Celebrates 25th Anniversary

From the lush vineyards of the Concord Grape Belt on Lake Erie to the golden beaches of Orient Point and the Long Island Sound, New York State's Heritage Areas open the door to the exploration of special places and stories that honor history and celebrate the Empire State experience.

The Heritage Area Program (formerly known as the Urban Cultural Park Program) is a state-local partnership established to preserve and develop neighborhoods, communities, and regions that have special significance to New York State. Today there are nineteen state-designated heritage areas or corridors, encompassing more than 400 municipalities in 27 counties. The program remains one of the oldest and largest heritage area programs in the country.

The year 2007 marks the 25th anniversary of the program, established by state legislation in 1982, and the 30th anniversary of RiverSpark, the Hudson-Mohawk Heritage Area [right here in Troy!]. These two major milestones are being celebrated at events, programs, and Heritage Area Visitor Centers throughout the state. For more information call (518) 237-8643.

To visit NYS heritage area web sites (not all have a web presence), check the sidebar at right. RiverSpark is with the Rensselaer and Troy links; others are within a separate collection of links.