Resources/ How-to

Critical Steps and Suggested Criteria for National Designation

The National Park Service recommends four critical steps prior to pursuing designation as a national heitage area. Ten criteria serve as guidelines to assess whether a region may qualify as a national heritage area.

Feasibility Study Guidelines

The National Park Service strongly recommends that a region interested in heritage area designation undertake a feasibility study to assess whether the region has the resources, national significance, leadership, support and local capacity to benefit from national heritage area designation. View the National Heritage Area Feasibility Study Guidelines , which present the common components of a feasibility study. A study can be completed locally, by a consultant or with the assistance of the NPS.

Click here to download the Feasibility Study Guidelines as a Acrobat PDF.

Sample Studies, Plans and Projects
Sample Feasibility Studies and Special Resource Studies from areas pursuing national designation, and Management Plans from existing national heritage areas.

Components of a Successful Management Plan
The Management Planning Notebook provides straight-forward guidance to heritage areas as they begin the planning process, with information on legal compliance, public involvement and partnership developments.

Heritage Areas Toolbox
The Heritage Areas Toolbox provides links to preservation, conservation, education, community engagement and tourism tools and resources.

Best Practices in National Heritage Areas
National heritage areas are involved in hundreds of projects and programs to achieve the objectives outlined in their management plans. The following exemplary projects and programs illustrate a diversity of national heritage area initiatives that engage people and organizations in conserving what's important about their regions. These activities present ideas, approaches and lessons that other collaborative conservation initiatives can learn from. The best practices address these disciplines:

• Community Revitalization
• Cultural Conservation
• Economic Development
• Education/Interpretation
• Heritage Tourism
• Historic Preservation
• Natural Resource Conservation
• Recreation
• Stewardship Building
• Strategic Engagement

To download the ten case studies, click here.

Publications and Articles

• National Trust Publication "Getting Started with Heritage Areas" To request copies call 202-588-6296, email the Trust, or order online.
• Click here to learn about other publications and articles on heritage areas.

The Heritage Bulletin Informational Series

Bulletins on tools that are or can be utilized in heritage areas.

• Bulletin #1: Passport Program
• Bulletin #2: Setting up Internship Programs
• Bulletin #3: Partnerships and the NPS
• Bulletin #4: Signage & Design Guidelines in Heritage Areas

PowerPoint Introduction to Heritage Areas

An introduction to national heritage areas and the role of the National Park Service.

Similar Heritage and Resource Conservation Programs
Click here to learn about national, state and international programs that operate similarly to the to national heritage areas and provide similar benefits.