From staff reports
President Biden has signed legislation that will reauthorize northwest Pennsylvania’s Oil Region National Heritage Area for the next 15 years along with 54 other National Heritage Areas throughout the country.
The National Heritage Area Act passed the Senate with a vote of “unanimous consent” and with overwhelming bipartisan approval in the House of Representatives with a vote of 326-95 in December.
“This is a significant milestone for all Heritage Areas and solidifies and validates that National Heritage Areas bring projects, programs, education and economic redevelopment to the communities we serve,” said John R. Phillips II, president and CEO of the Oil Region Alliance, managing entity of the Oil Region National Heritage Area.
“One of the best benefits for us is that we will be able to strategically plan our projects and activities over a long period and be able to focus on them instead of the next reauthorization deadline,” Phillips added.
Reauthorization every few years is required for the Oil Region National Heritage Area to be eligible for funding from the National Park Service.
Jenn Burden, the ORA heritage program manager, said the ORA has supplemented funding from the Park Service to restore the Tarbell House in Titusville to be used as event space, design visitor centers in the region, build multi-use trails, and produce numerous educational brochures, interpretive panels and lessons plans.”
“Continued funding will ensure the completion of the historic Scheide House in Titusville and Downs Building in Oil City rehabilitation projects as well as additional educational, recreational and interpretive projects and programs that showcase the unique heritage of the Oil Region,” Burden added.
