Congressional Action Expands Blackstone Heritage Corridor
The
U.S. Congress has passed legislation to expand the John H. Chafee Blackstone
River Valley National Heritage Corridor.
The region of national significance will now include the town of Auburn,
MA, and a larger portion of the city of Providence, RI. The legislation also reauthorizes the
Blackstone Heritage Corridor for six additional years of federal funding, a boost
to its continuing work to tell the story of the birthplace of the American
Industrial Revolution and restore the environment of the Blackstone River.
First
designated as a National Heritage Corridor in 1986, the region was the first
place to experience widespread use of water power in the United States and the
first religiously and ethnically diverse area of New England. The Blackstone Heritage Corridor will now
link 25 communities within the Blackstone River watershed from Providence, RI,
to Worcester, MA, an area exceeding 720 square miles.
“The Blackstone Valley
is an interconnected system of waterways and wetlands that are being reclaimed
for their natural beauty, wildlife and recreational opportunities,” commented
Charlene Perkins Cutler, executive director of Blackstone Heritage Corridor,
Inc. “It is also a remarkably intact
landscape of industrial history, immigration and diversity. Our organization is committed to the long
term vitality of this special place.”
Blackstone Heritage
Corridor, Inc. is the nonprofit management entity for the National Heritage
Corridor. Its staff, volunteers and
partners work together on regionally important projects, some of which include
river restoration, the bi-state Blackstone River Valley Bikeway, historic
preservation, way-finding and economic development.
Donna
Williams, the chairperson of Blackstone Heritage Corridor, Inc. and a resident
of Grafton, MA, noted that “the
expansion of the Blackstone Heritage Corridor to include Auburn and more of
Providence rightfully fills in the missing links in our boundary. Both communities
are vital parts of the watershed and of our history and they complete the story
we have to tell. We are truly grateful for Congress's vote of confidence
in our work to reauthorize us to 2021. Now the sky's the limit as to what more
we can accomplish with our valued partners throughout the Corridor.”
For more information or to volunteer and work on projects for the National Heritage Corridor, please call 401-762-0250, ext. 5101
