National Heritage Areas: Evaluating Past Practices as a Foundation for the Future

The United States National Heritage Areas (NHA) are congressionally designated lived-in landscapes that reflect the nation’s significant and diverse landscape. The management of these areas is based on a community-driven approach to heritage conservation and economic development. Beginning in 1984, the movement took root and rapidly grew to its present number of 49 NHAs with dozens of proposed areas under consideration (“National Heritage Areas” National Park Service). The idea was founded in many of same impulses as the early greenway approach. Glenn Eugester traces the evolution the idea to a number of separate, but related ideas to coordinate natural resource conservation, historic preservation, land use and economic development on a regional scale. While there were multiple factors at work, in his opinion what defines the movement is its focus on place and story of place combined with advocacy, civic engagement, inter-disciplinary planning, and action (Eugester 50). The NHA program was seen as a new and revolutionary way for the National Park Service to engage public/private partnerships in conserving large landscapes such as river corridors, canal systems, industrial complexes, and agricultural regions. When originally conceived the approach was seen as untested and experimental. (Barrett 2003) It was thought that National Park Service funding for a period of 10 to 15 years might be adequate to launch each new heritage area. Over the past decades, congress recognizing the value of the NHA programs, the challenge of finding dollars for regional initiatives, and the program’s growing popularity, has provided the earliest NHAs with multiple funding extensions (Barrett 2012). In 2008 Congress fashioned a legislative solution to the funding issue for nine of the NHAs whose funding authorization expired in 2012. It mandated an evaluation of the accomplishments of the nine areas. Based on these evaluations, recommendations would be made as to the future role of the National Park Service including funding (Public Law 110-229 U.S. Statutes at Large, May 8, 2008). This approach was seen as a possible model for evaluating all the NHAs within the program

Policy challenges to recognizing and conserving cultural landscapes in the United States

Cultural Landscapes have come late to the game in the US government’s historic preservation policy schemes. While the US National Park Service (NPS) established a documentation program - the Historic American Landscapes, landscapes are not specifically identified as a historic resource type to be recognized and protected by any of the existing statutory frameworks. In 2013 the NPS cultural resource leadership sought to remedy this deficiency by undertaking an extensive study, the National Register Landscape Initiative, with the goal of proposing legislative changes to the National Historic Preservation Act. Cultural landscapes would be added as a distinct property type to the National Register of Historic Places similar to sites, buildings, structures, districts and objects. Some in the agency cautioned that folding the definition of cultural landscapes into the constraints of the statutory and regulatory framework of the National Register, might be contrary to the much broader definition of these places as the combined work of man and nature. Linking the definition to the National Register could limits a wider use of the concept in managing landscape resources. Ultimately, the overall effort failed. In 2016 a new administration stepped in. Spurred by perceived threats to private property rights, energy development, and extractive industries, rule-making was proposed to discourage landscape recognition and conservation. Regulations were drafted to hinder the public’s ability to nominate historic properties and in particular cultural landscapes to the National Register. While this adverse rulemaking has now been rolled back by a new administration, how to recognize and protect cultural landscapes is still unresolved. Some experts have suggested that more effort is needed to build awareness of these resources particularly with property owners. Another opined that such landscapes need to function as a management category that sits between natural and cultural resources. Other suggested building a stronger connection to the environmental community to meet new conservation goals. More ideas are needed! Français : Les paysages culturels ont pris du retard dans les programmes de politique de préservation historique du gouvernement américain. Alors que le National Park Service (NPS) des États-Unis a établi un programme de documentation - les paysages américains historiques, les paysages ne sont pas spécifiquement identifiés comme un type de ressource historique devant être reconnu et protégé par l\u27un des cadres statutaires existants. En 2013, la direction des ressources culturelles du NPS a cherché à remédier à cette lacune en entreprenant une étude approfondie, la National Register Landscape Initiative, dans le but de proposer des modifications législatives à la National Historic Preservation Act. Les paysages culturels seraient ajoutés en tant que type de bien distinct au Registre national des lieux historiques, à l\u27instar des sites, bâtiments, structures, quartiers et objets. Certains membres de l\u27agence ont averti que le fait d\u27intégrer la définition des paysages culturels dans les contraintes du cadre statutaire et réglementaire du Registre national pourrait être contraire à la définition beaucoup plus large de ces lieux comme le travail combiné de l\u27homme et de la nature. Lier la définition au Registre national pourrait limiter une utilisation plus large du concept dans la gestion des ressources paysagères. Finalement, l\u27effort global a échoué. En 2016, une nouvelle administration est intervenue. Stimulée par les menaces perçues pour les droits de propriété privée, le développement énergétique et les industries extractives, l\u27élaboration de règles a été proposée pour décourager la reconnaissance et la conservation des paysages. Des règlements ont été rédigés pour empêcher le public de proposer des biens historiques et en particulier des paysages culturels au Registre national. Bien que cette réglementation défavorable ait maintenant été annulée par une nouvelle administration, la façon de reconnaître et de protéger les paysages culturels n\u27est toujours pas résolue. Certains experts ont suggéré que davantage d\u27efforts sont nécessaires pour faire connaître ces ressources, en particulier auprès des propriétaires fonciers. Un autre a estimé que ces paysages doivent fonctionner comme une catégorie de gestion qui se situe entre les ressources naturelles et culturelles. D\u27autres ont suggéré de renforcer les liens avec la communauté environnementale pour atteindre les nouveaux objectifs de conservation. Plus d\u27idées sont nécessaires! Español: Los paisajes culturales han llegado tarde al juego en los esquemas de políticas de preservación histórica del gobierno de EE. UU. Si bien el Servicio de Parques Nacionales de EE. UU. (NPS) estableció un programa de documentación: los paisajes históricos estadounidenses, los paisajes no se identifican específicamente como un tipo de recurso histórico para ser reconocido y protegido por ninguno de los marcos legales existentes. En 2013, el liderazgo de recursos culturales de NPS buscó remediar esta deficiencia mediante la realización de un estudio extenso, la Iniciativa del Paisaje del Registro Nacional, con el objetivo de proponer cambios legislativos a la Ley de Preservación Histórica Nacional. Los paisajes culturales se agregarían como un tipo de propiedad distinto al Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos similar a sitios, edificios, estructuras, distritos y objetos. Algunos en la agencia advirtieron que incorporar la definición de paisajes culturales a las limitaciones del marco legal y regulatorio del Registro Nacional podría ser contrario a la definición mucho más amplia de estos lugares como el trabajo combinado del hombre y la naturaleza. Vincular la definición al Registro Nacional podría limitar un uso más amplio del concepto en la gestión de los recursos del paisaje. Al final, el esfuerzo general fracasó. En 2016, intervino una nueva administración. Impulsada por las amenazas percibidas a los derechos de propiedad privada, el desarrollo energético y las industrias extractivas, se propuso la elaboración de normas para desalentar el reconocimiento y la conservación del paisaje. Se redactaron reglamentos para obstaculizar la capacidad del público de nominar propiedades históricas y, en particular, paisajes culturales al Registro Nacional. Si bien una nueva administración ha revertido esta reglamentación adversa, aún no se ha resuelto cómo reconocer y proteger los paisajes culturales. Algunos expertos han sugerido que se necesita más esfuerzo para crear conciencia sobre estos recursos, especialmente entre los propietarios. Otro opinó que tales paisajes deben funcionar como una categoría de gestión que se ubica entre los recursos naturales y culturales. Otros sugirieron construir una conexión más fuerte con la comunidad ambiental para alcanzar nuevos objetivos de conservación. ¡Se necesitan más ideas

Working in the UK without a default retirement age: health, safety and the oldest workers

This article considers the impact on individuals seeking, or in continuing work, and on organisations needing to manage older workers of the abolition of the default retirement age. Organisations will need to develop policies to cope with increasing numbers of workers in their late 60s, 70s and beyond. Here, we focus on the need for employers to plan for an ageing workforce in respect of the health and safety issues which will result from employing increasing numbers of older workers

Kennesaw State University Choral Ensembles

The KSU Choral Ensembles present a concert featuring the works of Pärt, Sondheim, Brahms, Brunner, and more. Presented virtually from Morgan Concert Hall of the Bailey Performance Center.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/2335/thumbnail.jp

Spring Concert Choral Ensembles

Join us (virtually) for an evening of performances by Women\u27s Choir, Men\u27s Ensemble, and University Chorale!https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/2382/thumbnail.jp