| 116th Year, 39th Issue | Thursday, May 5, 2005 | Sparta, North Carolina |
ASHEVILLE—The Management Entity Board of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area recently announced new federal funding and plans for a new office co-located with the planned Blue Ridge Destination Center. The funding, secured by U.S. Congressman Charles Taylor, will provide the Heritage Area with $880,000 in federal funds for fiscal year 2005. The funds must be matched by in-kind services of funding at the local and regional level.
“I’m pleased that my colleagues in Congress saw how important the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area is to the people of western North Carolina. This funding will help the Heritage Area move forward with a number of important programs and initiatives,” said Taylor, who chairs the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee.
The BRNHA management entity board also joined officials from the Blue Ridge Parkway in announcing its intention to co-locate offices with the new Blue Ridge Destination Center, which will be built along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Asheville area.
The exact final site of the destination center has not yet been determined by Parkway officials.
Penn Dameron, recently named executive director of the heritage area, said that the funding and plans for a new office are steps in the right direction for the heritage area and the region as a whole.
“This new funding will help the heritage area implement important programs, such as local grants, a regional branding initiative and state-of-the-art website,” Dameron said. “Down the road, we’ll have a presence on the Parkway, which is really a unifying feature of our 25-county area.”
She added, “These are truly exciting developments as I begin my role as
executive director. I want to thank Congressman Taylor, Parkway
officials, and Chair Janice Brumit and her colleagues on the management
entity board. None of this would be possible without their hard
work.”
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