Courtney Joins Bipartisan Effort To Save The Last Green Valley, Other National Heritage Areas
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) recently joined 77 bipartisan members of the House of Representatives in sending a letter to the chair and ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies asking that they support robust funding for National Heritage Areas like the Last Green Valley in northeastern Connecticut. President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating all funding for National Heritage Areas under the budget blueprint released in March.
"Without this vital funding from the federal government, states would not have the resources at their disposal to preserve and protect these natural spaces," said Courtney. "The Last Green Valley is an incredible asset to our region. We know that heritage areas actually create local jobs by establishing destinations that people want to visit and vacation nearby, making them a smart investment in both the economy and the natural environment. Moreover, the government funds invested in this program is used to leverage private dollars that provide an enormous value for taxpayers. On average, each $1 invested by the government attracts on average $5 of private investment – and that number if actually much higher for the Last Green Valley. I will continue to fight for funding that is critical to sustaining the Last Green Valley and other National Heritage Areas across the country."
Lois Bruinooge, Executive Director of The Last Green Valley, said: "We appreciate Congressman Courtney's support for the National Heritage Areas Program. Over the last 20 years, The Last Green Valley and its many partners have been able to leverage $11 million in federal dollars to produce more than $250 million in project impacts including preservation of historic and cultural assets, conservation of natural resources, land use, and agriculture, and promotion of economic development, community revitalization, tourism, and recreation. Funding from the National Heritage Areas Program is an important investment that directly affects our quality of life."
The original letter is available online
The Last Green Valley spans 1,100 square miles and encompasses 26 towns in northeastern Connecticut. It 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 77% forest and farm and is the last stretch of dark night sky in the coastal sprawl between Boston and Washington, D.C.
The president's budget proposed proposes elimination of the National Heritage Area Program — of which there are 49 across the country.
The Last Green Valley encompasses 35 towns stretching from eastern Connecticut to Massachusetts—including Ashford, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Coventry, Eastford, Franklin, Griswold, Hampton, Killingly, Lebanon, Lisbon, Mansfield, Norwich, Plainfield, Pomfret, Preston, Putnam, Scotland, Sprague, Sterling, Thompson, Union, Voluntown, Windham, and Woodstock.
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