Local News

Two public forums planned for March 7 and 8, will focus on the National Heritage Area proposed for the gateway communities of the Columbia-Pacific region.

Wahkiakum County will have a team of representatives attending the three day session. The public is invited to the sessions below.
The first forum, "The Dollars and Sense of Protecting Community Character" will be led by Ed McMahon, of the Urban Land Institute on March 7 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Liberty Theater, 1203 Commercial Street in Astoria.

Participants will learn about the economic, social, and environmental benefits of protecting community character, and the value of open space and historic resources. They will be introduced to major tools that can be used to protect community character, including education, voluntary initiatives, and other non-regulatory action, as well as alternatives to conventional residential and commercial development. The session will address the challenges in preserving community character and ways to generate public support and the political will to use available tools.

The second forum, entitled "National Heritage Areas: A Tool for Regional Development" will be led by Michael Creasey of the National Park Service on March 8, 6:30-8 p.m., at the World Kite Museum, 303 Sid Snyder Drive, in Long Beach.

This session will present the concept of National Heritage Areas as it is currently being applied throughout the United States. Creasey will share the 20-year experience of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, a 46-mile river corridor encompassing 24 communities in two states. The session will highlight processes, successes, challenges and lessons learned from this extensive regional-scale partnership, as they might apply to other regions.

For more information on the forums, call Jennifer Johnson at the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce at 360-795-9996.

  The Wahkiakum County Eagle, 77 Main Street, Cathlamet, WA 98612
Phone: 360-795-3391     Fax: 360-795-3983
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