The "Susquehanna National Heritage Area Officially Designated!" Story

Will this logo be part of the National Heritage area?

It was an ordinary day.  Just opened an email titled "BREAKING: America's Newest National Heritage Area!  As soon as I began to read the email I knew exactly what the article was about.  It was six months ago that I posted a story I titled: "Waiting For History To Catch Up With Reality."  At the time I was hoping that President Donald Trump would sign a bill designating the Susquehanna River area between Lancaster and York Counties a National Heritage Area.  The email read, in part:  Today, March 12, 2019, President Donald Trump signed S.47, the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, a major national conservation bill that includes designation of Lancaster and York Counties as a Susquehanna National Heritage Area.  The bill's passage is great news for our 10+ year effort to bring this national honor to our region and the Susquehanna.  We thank U.S. Senator Bob Casey for supporting this legislation since 2008 and securing an amendment to S.47 to designate the Susquehanna National Heritage Area.  We also thank Congressman Lloyd Smucker for championing the bill in the House of Representatives since 2017.  We very much appreciate the bi-patisan collaboration of Mr. Casey and Mr. Smucker in designating the Susquehanna National Heritage Area - America's 55th National Heritage Area! 

Columbia, PA is the home to Columbia Crossings which
is a museum and adventure area.

So, what will this new title do for Lancaster and York Counties?  It is expected to draw more tourists to the area's historical sites.  Ten million visitors come to this region each year now and bring with them their money.  This new designation will hopefully bring an additional $100 million spent in both counties. The Susquehanna River's role as a corridor of culture and commerce will be one of the big focuses.  I have featured the Susquehanna River and the Susquehanna River valley in quite a few of my stories.  

The view from Chickies Park in Columbia of the
Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge.  

Everything from being part of the American frontier to helping in the develop- ment of canals and transpor- tation to it's role in the Under- ground Railroad and being part of the American Revolution.  Not long ago I took you with me as my son and I, along with his Scouting friends and their dads, traveled down the Susquehanna on a raft we built.  The history of the Susquehanna River Valley is both interesting and entertaining.  Fishing, camping, hiking, boating and biking are a big draw to the river, and now, with national promotion of the area, it will draw more visitors.  

A view of part of Chickies Park in Columbia, PA

Businesses will grow and begin anew and more jobs will open to the local residents.  The Heritage Area will receive $150,000 to get the national heritage area up and running and the amount will grow after a management plan is approved.  The money does require a matching amount from the area, but with more visitors to the area, that shouldn't be a problem.  I read that one organization plans to run a pilot boat tour on the river this coming summer.  The only bad thing about the new designation is the new traffic and perhaps crime it will bring to the area.  I guess the area will have to wait and see how it will benefit from the new labeling before we make any decisions as to whether it was worth the battle to gain the National Heritage Area title.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.