Heritage initiatives unveiled at public meeting April 21

A total of 17 initiatives to help increase tourism and preserve the culture of the area were presented to the public by the Alleghany County Heritage Council during a meeting held at Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation April 21. About 40 people attended the meeting were given the opportunity to vote for their four favorite initiatives following a brief presentation on each. The more popular initiatives will likely find their way into a long-term heritage tourism plan.

Helen Ruth Almond, who serves as the heritage tourism officer for the North Carolina Division of Travel and Tourism, explained the purpose of the meeting was to find ways to promote Alleghany County and the region as a National Heritage Area. President George W. Bush signed a bill into law in 2003 which designates the 25 counties of western North Carolina as the Blue Ridge National Heritage area. Almond’s role in this process is to facilitate the planning process for Alleghany County and northwest North Carolina, and later help with implementation of the initiatives.

“As part of the Blue Ridge National Heritage area planning process and designation, each of the 25 counties in western North Carolina must develop a five-to-10-year heritage tourism plan for preserving and celebrating the variety of natural, historic and cultural resources that typically represent western North Carolina and, in our case, Alleghany County and northwest North Carolina,” Almond said.

According to the legislation, the plans must focus on music, crafts and natural heritage, historical and agricultural heritage, Cherokee Native American heritage and Scotch Irish heritage of the area.

Almond noted a regional meeting will be held at some point during the summer as a means for the counties in the northwestern part of the state to share their plans and develop a regional plan for northwest North Carolina.

“We’ll end up having three regional plans,” Almond explained. “One for northwest North Carolina and the High Country area, one for the Blue Ridge Mountains host area and one for the Smoky Mountains host area. Then, these three plans will be rolled into a master plan for the Blue Ridge National Heritage area that will then be implemented over the next five-to-10-year period.”

Almond also noted that heritage tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors of today’s tourism industry.

“This is a major component for community revitalization economic development, in particular in rural counties across the state,” Almond said. “It’s all about connecting community revitalization while improving the quality of life for citizens in an area in particular.” Patrick Woodie then spoke as a board member of the BRNHA on the regional priorities. Almond noted that Woodie had been appointed for the position by Governor Mike Easley.

Woodie noted that the regional efforts “need to reach across the 25 counties in the Blue Ridge National Heritage area.”

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