The legislation establishing the heritage area mandates that a management plan be prepared to guide the heritage area's programs, decision-making, and funding over a 10- to 15-year period. The plan identifies new opportunities for education, recreation, and heritage tourism. BNHA will work to make these new opportunities available to residents and visitors through cooperative relationships with local, state, and federal public agencies, and private and not-for-profit partners. The exact types of projects and their locations will be determined in the future, pending further studies and continued consultation, and subject to available funding. Some projects may involve development of new recreation facilities and land acquisition by partners.
The Baltimore Heritage Area Association, Inc., the management entity for the heritage area, is currently preparing a draft Comprehensive Management Plan. In April 2012, a series of roundtable discussions and public workshops were held to gather input on the heritage area's vision and goals, how it will operate, and what types of projects will promote the BNHA's mission.
Information presented at the April meetings can be viewed on the National Park Service's Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website. BNHA welcomes continued input from the community, which is easily transmitted through the PEPC website.
The input received in spring 2012 will help shape and form the draft Comprehensive Management Plan, which will be released in autumn 2012. Additional public workshops and discussions will allow for the public and interested stakeholders to further refine the plan. A final Comprehensive Management Plan is expected in late spring 2013.
Additional Information
There are two prior planning documents that can be helpful to those interested in this process; these documents are being used as the starting point for the current planning process.
The 2001 Management Action Plan created the state-certified Baltimore City Heritage Area. The Plan is made up of three sections:
• Background
• Recommendations and Actions
• Appendices
In late 2006, the state heritage area created a Management Plan Update to the 2001 plan, parts of which were adapted as a feasibility study for creating the Baltimore National Heritage Area
