Maryland Heritage Areas Authority Provides 51 Grants to Heritage Tourism Sites, Activities, and Organizations Across Maryland

CROWNSVILLE, MD (July 11, 2011) – Fifty-one matching grants totaling $2,298,000 were awarded to Maryland non-profits - including museums, tourism sites, historic preservation, natural resources and educational organizations, as well as local jurisdictions - by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA). These grant funds support heritage tourism projects and activities that expand economic development and tourism-related job creation throughout the state (see full listing in the full release).

Proposed changes to LEED - Preservationists make your voice heard by January 14!

The United States Green Building Council is accepting public comments on the latest version of the LEED rating system and preservationists have an opportunity to weigh in on these proposed changes. You can read more about the revisions under consideration, their potential impact on historic buildings and find out how to submit your comments by visiting the National Trust for Historic Preservation's website.



Miller's Court, in Baltimore, recieved a LEED Gold rating
and won one of five 2010 Smart Growth Awards from the
Environmental Protection Agency



LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used and well-known system for measuring the environmental impacts of buildings and encourages strategies and techniques that reduce water and energy consumption, the use of recycled materials, and the "smart" siting of buildings, among other things. While the historic preservation comunity has been touting the environmental benefits of maintaining and reusing existing buildings for decades, the LEED rating system has helped launch the environmental impacts of buildings into the public consciousness.

National Park Service to sponsor Regional Meetings for Chesapeake Bay Partners

The National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office and its partner Chesapeake Conservancy invite you to attend one of four regional meetings taking place in January, 2011.

Technical and financial assistance from the National Park Service can have a significant impact on the work of state and local governments and non-profit organizations. To be most effective, NPS can't operate in a vacuum . . . we need to ask you about our work, what we can do better, and what we can do for you.

The meeting agenda is simple: NPS will give brief overviews of our work in the Chesapeake region. This includes the Captain John Smith Chesapeake and the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trails, the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network, and our work with public access and stewardship opportunities as part of the federal strategy for Bay restoration. Chesapeake Conservancy will share highlights of their recent projects that support these initiatives.

Maryland Heritage Areas Grants Workshops - Register Today!

It's that time of year again!

Are you located in a Certified Heritage Area?

Are you interested in learning more about grants that are available for capital and non-capital projects relating to the preservation of historical, archeological, natural and cultural resources and heritage tourism?

If so, you will want to attend one of four upcoming grant workshops that are being offered by the Maryland Heritage Areas Program. These sessions are an opportunity to learn more about the FY 2012 grant program and the revised grant application forms, and will also provide the chance to ask any questions you may have about the program.

New Historical Markers along Maryland's Roads



Old Wallville School Marker Unveiling.
Photo courtesy of David Krankowski



The Maryland Historical Trust, State Highway Administration, and local partners have installed six new and two replacement historical markers along Maryland's roadways, bringing the total number of markers to 822! The markers celebrate a broad scope of Maryland history, including a seventeenth century courthouse, the growth of a colonial port, a fine grade of slate quarried for over two centuries, a rare and early school for the education of African American students, early twentieth century advancements in electric rail transit and transportation, research and development of motor transport, and a legacy of conservation and enhancement of our public lands.

Read about each of the new markers below.

Southern Maryland's Award-Winning Heritage

The Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium has garnered recognition for its efforts on the part of the region and the state-wide Heritage Areas program.

At the Tourism and Travel Summit in Annapolis on Thursday, November 4th, Roz Racanello, Executive Director of the Heritage Area, accepted an award in the category of Cultural Heritage Tourism.

The Cultural Heritage Tourism Award is given for outstanding investments and contributions in stewardship and development of Maryland's cultural heritage product as well as engagement in regional and statewide tourism initiatives.

National Scenic Byways Program Announces FY 2011 Grant Intention Solicitation

The National Scenic Byways Program announces the soliciation of grant intent to apply forms for FY 2011 funding, to be submitted by 2 p.m. on January 12, 2011. Guidance and other important materials are available on the Byways Online website at http://www.bywaysonline.org/grants/ .

Applicants should review these resources to ensure applications meet all submission requirements for the FY 2011 grant cycle. They are also asked to work closely with the byway organization that coordinates activities on the relevant byway. These organizations will rank and/or consolidate projects and can therefore have a large impact on the success of the application. In addition, all projects should reflect the priorities outlined in the corridor management plan that the respective byway organization has prepared.