Did you know that National Heritage Areas (NHAs) are designated by Congress as places where natural, cultural, and historic resources are deemed to be of significant importance? The Maritime National Heritage Area for Washington State includes 3,000 miles of shoreline stretching north from Grays Harbor through Puget Sound to the Canadian border.
NHAs work to build public-private partnerships to preserve maritime history and historical sites. By collaborating with communities, NHAs assist in supporting historic preservation and economic development via heritage tourism. Be it a historic structure, vessel, narrative, or cultural site the Maritime Washington network connects people and resources to help preserve a community’s maritime heritage. NHAs use a grass-roots, community-driven approach. Those working to preserve their local maritime heritage can now connect with peers, find funding opportunities, and gain technical assistance thanks to the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area. This includes working waterfronts and environmental restoration. To view Washington State maritime sites of interest, click HERE.
The Maritime Washington NHA was designated in March of 2019. Prior to this time, the Pacific Coast lacked representation with no NHAs located in California, Oregon, or Washington State. Early partners in Washington’s designated NHA included the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Park Service, and the Pacific Northwest Maritime Heritage Council. The Trust is the designated management entity for Washington’s NHA.
NHAs serve as platforms for building partnerships and relationships. Click HERE to learn more about becoming a partner. Any private or public organization, government entity, or tribe whose work is aligned with maritime history are invited to join Maritime Washington.
