The cultural landscapes and historic sites along the waterways and adjacent
lands of Lake Champlain, Lake George, the upper Hudson River, and the
Richelieu River are testimony to a rich and diverse history. For more than
10,000 years, Lake Champlain and its connecting waterways have been central
to the lives of the Abenaki and Iroquois Nations. The region played a critical role in the formation of the United States and Canada, and reflects the influence of early French and English exploration and settlement.
Because of its strategic location, the region witnessed more than two
centuries of military actions including the Seven Years (or French and
Indian) War, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and territorial
struggles of Native Americans. The conflicts left behind a physical
record in the great fortifications and earthworks most notably at Fort
Ticonderoga, Crown Point and Mount Independence and in the exceptional
collection of historic shipwrecks found in the cold waters of Lake Champlain
and Lake George.
After 1815, conflict subsided in the region. With an influx of settlers
and the construction of the Champlain Canal and the Chambly Canal, industry,
commerce, and farming expanded. Tourism originated early and has grown
into one of the region's primary economic activities.
In recognition of this important history, Senator James Jeffords of Vermont
requested that the National Park Service assess the suitability and feasibility
of the U.S. Congress establishing a national heritage corridor in the
Champlain Valley. A team of planners from NPS worked in consultation with
local citizens, government representatives, scholars, resource specialists,
and consultants to evaluate whether the preservation and interpretation of
the resources of the Champlain Valley merit additional National Park Service
involvement. The Special Resource Study used National Park Service guidelines
and criteria to consider whether a national heritage corridor or some other
option would best serve the needs of the Champlain Valley.
Key Themes
Three primary interpretive themes representing the important cultural and
natural resources in the region were identified during the study:
(1) the 'Making of Nations' theme emphasizes the immense strategic importance
of Lake Champlain and its connecting waterways during past military actions;
(2) the 'Corridor of Commerce' theme focuses on the critical importance of
transportation on the lakes and rivers in the development of industry; and
(3) the 'Magnet for Tourism' theme encompasses the valley's long history
of tourism and its diverse vacation areas. The 'Making of Nations' theme
is considered to be of outstanding national importance and to merit recognition.
The Study Area
The extent of the so-called 'Champlain Valley' is open to question. For
example, it may be defined legitimately as encompassing the towns that
abut the historic waterway, the valley floor, or the drainage basin of the
lake. For the purposes of this project, the team restricted the study area
to the counties in New York and Vermont where the majority of resources
embodying the major interpretive theme 'Making of Nations' are located
- Clinton, Essex, Warren, Saratoga, and Washington Counties in New York and
Grand Isle, Franklin, Chittenden, Addison, and Rutland Counties in Vermont. The waterway composed of Lake Champlain, the Champlain Canal, Lake George and the upper Hudson River forms the spine of the study area.
During the course of the study, the team discovered that thematically
related resources exist in the Richelieu Valley in Quebec. These related
resources, located in four Regional Municipal Counties or MRCs
(Municipalites regionales de comte) Le Bas-Richelieu, La Vallee-du-Richelieu,
Rouville, and Le Haut-Richelieu are described in the study. Given the
common history and themes, there is potential for international collaboration
across the U.S./Canadian boundary.
It is important to note that the study area chosen by the team should not be
considered a recommended boundary for any of the heritage preservation
options described in the report. The actual boundary (if any) of a heritage
corridor or other option would be determined during the legislative process,
should legislation be pursued.
Heritage Preservation Options
In consultation with regional and community representatives, the National
Park Service developed three options that could be pursued to better
recognize, promote and preserve the region's important cultural and natural
resources: designation as a national heritage corridor; a quadricentennial
commemoration of Samuel de Champlain's arrival in the region; and designation
of a state/provincial heritage corridor. All three options provide
opportunities for cross-boundary collaboration, and they need not be mutually
exclusive. The study also includes a 'continuation of current practices'
option; under this scenario existing entities would continue (and possibly
expand) their efforts to preserve and enhance heritage resources, and no
federal designation or additional authority for federal involvement would
be pursued.
National Heritage Corridor:
One option is federal designation as a national heritage corridor, which
recognizes areas where natural, cultural, historic, and recreational
resources combine to form cohesive and distinctive landscapes arising from
patterns of human activity shaped by geography. There are three broad
purposes of designating a national heritage corridor: (1) to enhance and
preserve cultural landscapes and historic sites; (2) to improve historical
understanding and heritage appreciation; and (3) to stimulate community
and economic development. There would be no power of eminent domain - the
corridor would not become public land - and no new land use restrictions
would be imposed through the designation. Financial and technical support
would be available through the NPS. Successful management would hinge upon
the creation of partnerships among individuals, community organizations,
businesses, government agencies (local, state/provincial, and federal),
and others with an interest in the corridor.
Quadricentennial Commemoration:
A second option is federal support of efforts to commemorate the 400th
anniversary of Samuel de Champlain's arrival in the Champlain/Richelieu
region. Two major celebrations have been held in the Champlain Valley to
commemorate Champlain's arrival: the first, in 1909, marked the 300th
anniversary of his arrival in what is now the United States; the second,
in 1959, highlighted the 350th anniversary. The 400th anniversary
commemoration would be modeled after these earlier celebrations, but could
be expanded into a multi-year event and linked with related activities in
Quebec. Federal legislation would authorize a coordinating entity - in all
likelihood a public/ private partnership with representation from key
interests in the region - to prepare, secure funding for, and execute a
plan to commemorate Champlain's arrival and explore its implications.
State/Provincial Heritage Corridor:
A third approach, state/provincial designation of a heritage corridor,
also would benefit the Champlain Valley, but without the recognition and
direct involvement of the NPS. This option, modeled after the St. Croix
International Waterway and Commission in Maine and New Brunswick, would be
formalized though parallel legislation to create a heritage corridor
adopted by the governments of New York, Vermont, and Quebec. The
binational cooperation could begin with a Memorandum of Understanding
between the parties and then be based on legislation. Federal involvement
in the region would continue to be through existing competitive grant and
technical assistance programs. Unlike the first and second options, this
approach would not require legislative action by the U.S. Congress.
For more information, contact:
Douglas Lindsay, Superintendent
Saratoga National Historical Park
648 Route 32, Stillwater, NY 12170
(518) 664-9821 x206/doug_lindsay@nps.gov