The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation announces former New Jersey Governor Thomas H. Kean is the latest in a growing list of leaders and organizations to endorse the North Jersey National Heritage Area project. The NNJCF’s initiative will generate hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact and produce millions in new tax revenue. In addition, it will attract hundreds of thousands of dollars in new federal funding. This area will also support hundreds of jobs in New Jersey through cultural heritage tourism.
Former Governor Thomas H. Kean joins a growing list of leaders endorsing the North Jersey National Heritage area project. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Thomas H. Kean
“The North Jersey National Heritage Area initiative will demonstrate why the region is a special place, with a distinct history and personality,” said former New Jersey Governor Thomas H. Kean. “It will also highlight North Jersey’s distinct environmental, cultural and historic sites and places, which will support arts and heritage organizations and small businesses.”
National Heritage Area Designation
The North Jersey National Heritage Area (NJNHA) initiative highlights the area’s history in at least four areas: innovation and industry, suburbia and planned communities, transportation and infrastructure, and immigration and migration. The NJNHA currently covers six counties: Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Union, Morris and Passaic.
Other leaders and organizations expressing support for the initiative include U.S. Representative Thomas Kean, Jr., New Jersey State Assembly members Clinton Calabrese and Shama Haider, New Jersey State Senator Britnee Timberlake, and The Union County Board of Commissioners. In addition, these leaders supported the initiative: New Jersey Preservation Alliance, Housing and Neighborhood Development Services Inc. (HANDS Inc.), Fairleigh Dickinson University, Ramapo College of New Jersey, Hudson County Community College, Orange Historic Commission, LISC New Jersey, West Orange Arts Council, Union Township Historical Society/Caldwell Parsonage, Durand-Hedden House & Garden, Historic Radburn, New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance, and dozens of others.
Former Governor Thomas H. Kean Endorses North Jersey National Heritage Area
A National Heritage Area (NHA) is a federal designation that recognizes a place “where historic, cultural, and natural resources combine to form cohesive, nationally important landscapes,” according to the National Park Service. Furthermore, the place can be as small as a city neighborhood or as large as a multi-state region. The designation also makes the place eligible for up to $1 million in federal funding per year.
“Historians, anthropologists and others are familiar with North Jersey as a cradle of innovation, a hub of international trade, and one of the most diverse and vibrant regions in the United States,” former New Jersey Governor Thomas H. Kean said. “Designating the region as a National Heritage Area will help the public understand better what makes this area special.”
Every National Heritage Area is led by a Coordinating Entity. They work with partners to help promote the NHA region through marketing and signage. The Coordinating Entity also develops programs, events, public art and other activities that highlight the themes covered by the designation. For example, Crossroads of the American Revolution is the Coordinating Entity for a National Heritage Area in New Jersey. This entity focuses on the state’s distinct role in the American Revolution.
The partnerships and the federal recognition helped Crossroads of the American Revolution generate more than $166 million in economic impact. In addition, they raised more than $10 million in tax revenue. The area also attracts about 900,000 visitors to Revolutionary War sites and supports more than 1,700 jobs, according to a 2012 study by TrippUmbach.
Foundation to Coordinate North Jersey NHA
The NNJCF is taking a leading role in this effort. The Foundation serves as the official “Coordinating Entity” for the North Jersey NHA. The NNJCF pledges to distribute a large portion of the federal funding as grants to nonprofit organizations or local governments in the region. The Foundation will also coordinate with dozens of partners on strategies to encourage more people to visit culturally and environmentally significant places in North Jersey.
NNJCF Executive Director Leonardo Vazquez is particularly excited about the North Jersey NHA. The potential exists for the NJA to help smaller communities often overlooked by other destination marketing efforts.
“This designation can help bring more dollars into communities like East Orange, Passaic, or Belleville,” said Vazquez, who is directing this initiative on behalf of the Foundation. “This will help small businesses and also create new business and employment opportunities for residents in these communities.
“All North Jersey communities can benefit,” Vazquez said. “The North Jersey NHA will make more people want to travel around North Jersey. They will enjoy our exceptional restaurants, parks, open spaces, cultural programs, historic sites, and more. The area will also attract and keep more dollars in North Jersey. The North Jersey NHA will support many nonprofit cultural and heritage organizations. Through this, North Jersey will be an even better place to live, work and thrive.”
To learn more about the North Jersey National Heritage Area, contact Leonardo Vazquez at leo@nnjcf.org or 201-568-5608, x2.
