Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Summit
Congressman Maurice Hinchey, Honorary Chair
Congresswoman Nita Lowey, Honorary Co-Chair
October 4, 2004
Hyde Park, New York

The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area is a region rich in history that extends from Waterford, just north of Albany, to the northern border of New York City and has been acclaimed by the National Park Service as "the landscape that defined America."  In 1996, the Hudson River Valley was recognized as one of only twenty-four National Heritage Areas, established to recognize, preserve, protect and interpret the region's nationally significant historical, cultural, and natural resources.

On October 4, 2004, more than 180 community leaders, historians, business leaders, elected officials, educators and other interested citizens from nearly forty organizations convened in Hyde Park – this historic home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt – to participate in a dialogue on the future of the historic region. Congressman Maurice Hinchey, who sponsored legislation resulting in the creation of the National Heritage Area program in 1996, served as the honorary chair of the summit.

Following presentations on the historical significance of the Hudson River Valley, summit delegates participated in an interactive session designed to prioritize a series of goals and develop a set of recommendations to make progress toward those goals. Local leaders and others engaged in the National Heritage Area program outside the state of New York set the framework for the delegates’ discussions.

When delegates were asked to rate a set of aims and objectives for the Hudson River Valley National Heritage area, the highest rated goals were to:

• Improve public awareness and understanding of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area’s significance

• Increase the number of historic preservation projects

• Increase the number of heritage and history teaching programs

• Complete a network of connected Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area sites with easy public access

Delegates then engaged in small group discussions to generate recommendations for achieving these four goals.  Recommendations from these workshops included:

• Use websites to drive traffic to other sites and inform residents and visitors about the National Heritage Areas

• Identify revenue-generating opportunities, especially to cover operating expenses for historical facilities and nonprofit groups

• Assess the diversity and breadth of existing educational programs, then create an information exchange for educators about available resources

• Create coordinated and cohesive signage system and accessibility from the river to the downtowns of varying municipalities

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