Chesapeake Gateways Communities Initiative

The Hampton, VA Team at the Pilot workshop mapping out an action plan.

NPS

Overview

The Chesapeake Bay watershed is a nationally significant natural resource that is a draw for travelers who are looking to engage with the Bay’s unique natural environment, cultural and historical heritage, and recreational opportunities. For NPS Chesapeake Gateways, any community in this region that connects people to the watershed can serve as a gateway to the Chesapeake. Gateway communities attract people because of their location, places, experiences, and services, and they serve as entry points to the Chesapeake Bay watershed, helping both locals and visitors explore the region. They offer authentic Chesapeake experiences, share local history and culture, and connect nature and recreation with businesses that reflect the area’s heritage.

Chesapeake Gateways Communities Initiative

The Chesapeake Gateways Communities Initiative offers an opportunity for communities to assess their ability to serve as host and guide to residents and visitors as a gateway to the Chesapeake Bay by fostering greater connections and experiences.Through the process detailed in this guidebook, communities assess themselves based on five primary elements that NPS Chesapeake Gateways has determined are essential for a community to meaningfully serve those seeking to engage with Chesapeake.

At the end of the process, communities will have an action plan of prioritized needs across the five primary elements they can pursue to better capitalize on their outdoor recreation and heritage tourism.In addition to the intrinsic value of this effort, this initiative is intended to prepare communities for official Chesapeake Gateways Communities designation as part of the Chesapeake Gateways Network.

The Five Primary Elements

The five primary elements of a Chesapeake Gateway Community are:

Community assets are the places and experiences that attract visitors and reflect what makes a community special.

NPS/ E. Gonzalez

1. Assets and amenities are visitor attractions in a community, such as: parks and public spaces, museums, water access points (for boat launching or viewing the Bay), trails, fishing piers, and other outdoor recreation, public art, cultural, and historic sites.

2. Programming and interpretation are activities associated with the assets and amenities that facilitate learning and awareness of the Chesapeake. Possible activities in this category include signage, walking and driving tours, scavenger hunts and geocaching, guided and unguided experiences, and events and festivals.

Community identity signage helps welcome visitors and can set the tone for their experience.

NPS/ E. Gonzalez

3. Visitor services are the basics that people need when visiting a community. This category includes things such as: lodging, food, restrooms, wayfinding, gear and equipment sales and rentals, retail shopping, transportation options and transfers, Wi-Fi or cell service, and parking and fueling options.

4. Marketing and communications involve how a community markets itself and the communication tools it uses, such as: digital and print media, radio and TV promotion, video, social media, site signage, online and onsite trip planning, multilingual materials, and public-facing products.

Strong community commitment to the initiative and follow-through on the action plan supports successful project outcomes.

NPS/ E. Gonzalez

5. Commitment and capacity reflect a community’s support for participating in this initiative and carrying out the resulting action plan. Considerations include the dedicated involvement and collaboration of local entities (government, private, nonprofit, and academic) who manage or influence assets and amenities, programming and interpretation, visitor services, and marketing and communications.

Benefits to Participating

By going through the process, communities can:

• Strengthen relationships and collaborations within the community.

• Understand the most important needs and interests that can make the biggest impact.

• Invest in actions and projects that have community-wide support.

• Create more compelling cases for charitable support of those actions and projects by highlighting community alignment.

Ready to Begin?

If your community is ready to begin, contact NPS Chesapeake Gateways (e-mail us) with “Chesapeake Gateways Communities Initiative” in the subject line. We look forward to working with you!

Resources

Coming soon—Download a copy of the Guidebook and Toolkit here. Coming soon—FAQs about the Chesapeake Gateways Communities Initiative.