With Courtney and the House’s Vote, Bill to Protect The Last Green Valley will Finally be Signed Into Law
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) voted to pass the National Heritage Act (S. 1942). The bipartisan bill was included the House-passed Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act (H.R. 803) and will establish a National Heritage Area (NHA) System to standardize the process for studying and establishing new National Heritage Areas, provide millions of acres of public land with new and lasting protections, and end the current system of piecemeal NHA reauthorizations, providing for a single re-authorization of appropriations for fifteen years (through 2037).
For eastern Connecticut’s natural treasures like The Last Green Valley—whose federal NHA authorization was set to expire in 2023—the bill is particularly important. S. 1942 includes a new long-term reauthorization for The Last Green Valley and the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Areas in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and for others across the country, and will ensure it retains federal support for the next fifteen years to operate effectively and continue conservation efforts.
“At the same time that demand for accessible open spaces is sky-high across the country right now, we were on the edge of losing critical federal support for one of eastern Connecticut’s most important natural preservation areas. Passage of the National Heritage Act today gives The Last Green Valley the long-term reauthorization we’ve been pressing towards for over two years now,” said Congressman Courtney. “Families, classrooms, business outings, and lots of others have all been flocking to the trails and natural setting that places like The Last Green Valley have to offer. Heritage areas like these aren’t just great investments for keeping our land open and green, they also create jobs, establish travel destinations, and they’re a smart long-term investment. Connecticut knows that investments in our open spaces provide real dividends for taxpayers, and I’m proud that after years of working alongside Lois Bruinooge and her team at The Last Green Valley, as well as Senator Chris Murphy and our colleagues in the Connecticut Delegation, that we finally secured another fifteen years of federal support for The Last Green Valley and for our region’s other Natural Heritage Areas.”
“We are grateful for Rep. Courtney’s unwavering support and commitment to help secure passage of the National Heritage Area Act,” said Lois Bruinooge, Executive Director of The Last Green Valley. “The Last Green Valley, like heritage areas around the country, strengthens communities and embody the best ideas in public-private partnerships. With this long-term reauthorization, we can sharpen our focus to better promote and conserve our natural, historic and cultural resources for future generations to enjoy.
Courtney has long supported conservation efforts in eastern Connecticut and the region—from The Last Green Valley and Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Areas, to Plum Island, to the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed, and more. In 2020, Courtney led a coalition of New England representatives in introducing legislation to save The Last Green Valley and Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Areas through a 15-year reauthorization, similar to the Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act, which passed the House in February 2021, and to today’s National Heritage Act.
In February of 2020 and March of 2021, Rep. Courtney and Senator Chris Murphy introduced bicameral legislation that sought to save The Last Green Valley and the Upper Housatonic National Heritage Areas from losing critical federal support. Click here to read more.
The Last Green Valley encompasses 35 towns stretching from eastern Connecticut to Massachusetts, with 26 towns in Connecticut. The Last Green Valley was first designated as a National Heritage Corridor by Congress in 1994 because of the region’s unique natural, cultural, historic, and scenic resources. The area is still 84% forest and farm and is the last stretch of dark night sky in the coastal sprawl between Boston and Washington, D.C.
The Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area includes 29 towns, stretching 964 square miles from western Connecticut to Massachusetts along the Housatonic River watershed. The Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area was first designated as a National Heritage Area by Congress in 2006 to preserve natural and historical resources, and to improve the economy in the area. There are over 50 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places within the heritage area.
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