Legislation was introduced in Congress last month seeking to designate the Northern Neck as a National Heritage Area. If approved, the NHA designation would bring tourism dollars to King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond and Westmoreland counties, according to a release from Sen. Mark Warner’s office.
Sens. Tim Kaine and Warner, along with Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Montross) introduced the proposed legislation last Thursday in order to preserve local resources and help generate economic activity in the Northern Neck.
In addition to delivering federal dollars to the region, the Northern Neck National Heritage Area Act would encourage public-private partnerships, and assign a specific entity—the Northern Neck Tourism Commission—to help protect the Northern Neck’s natural, cultural, scenic and recreational resources.
The National Park Service defines national heritage areas as congressionally designated places where “natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive...