| 117th Year, 9th Issue | Thursday, October 6, 2005 | Sparta, North Carolina |
The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area has launched its 2005 Heritage Grants Program to provide and leverage funding for innovative heritage preservation, development and marketing projects across Western North Carolina.
The grants will help provide opportunities for local communities and organizations to conserve, develop, and promote their heritage assets so they may contribute to the sustainable economic revitalization of the region.
Interest in heritage preservation and development has grown markedly since the federal designation of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in 2003. The 25 counties of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area region and the Qualla Boundary have recently completed local heritage development plans, identifying priorities and potential projects at the local level.
“We’ve seen many great project ideas come out of the local planning process,” says BRNHA Board Chair Janice Brumit. “We expect to have many applications, and will look more favorably upon those that will have a regional or multi-county impact.”
The grant awards will range between $1,000 and $50,000. Funds for the
BRNHA grants program are provided by the federal government through the
National Park Service. Applicants must provide at least an equal
matching contribution to the project. The grant funds are available to
non-profit organizations, academic institutions, federally-recognized
Indian tribes, and units of state and local government. Projects must
be located in the 25-county region of the Blue Ridge National Heritage
Area or the Cherokee Qualla Boundary.
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