Heritage area project continues

More than 100 people met at the end of January to brainstorm about how the Great Falls region might pursue a National Heritage Area designation and Thursday they met for the recap and to plot next steps.

The full report is expected to be posted on the city's website by the close of business today.

Discussions among attendees and a visitor assessment revealed that the Great Falls region lacks a strong digital presence and also a cohesive message related to the region's story.

Organizers are now planning to attend several events this spring and summer to conduct short interviews with locals and visitors to find out their connection to the Missouri River, whether it be their history with the river or their favorite memories related to the river.

Plans for those interviews are still in flux, but will include video and photos.

"We can't brand communities, they're too complex," Deputy City Planning Director Lee Nellis said. "But what you can do is tell a story."

The project started as an effort to gauge public interest in pursuing a National Heritage Area designation from the National Park Service, which requires congressional action.

It now encompasses efforts to increase the digital presence of local and regional attractions, as well as beginning to build the "Great Falls story."

National Heritage Areas "are designated by Congress as places where national, cultural and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape," according to the National Park Service.

There are 49 NHAs in the U.S.; none are in Montana.

The NHA could receive some federal funding through the National Park Service, but the area wouldn't be subject to any federal restrictions or regulations because of the designation.

While the NHA designation is the long-term goal, collaborations, partnerships and improving the region's digital presence to improve tourism and economic development are things local agencies can do in the short term as they work toward an NHA.

People involved with the project from the city, county, Great Falls-Cascade County Historic Preservation Advisory Commission, area museums, state parks, and others are also working to educate the community about an NHA.

"People get nervous about federal designations," Nellis said.

If the area received NHA designation, it would remain in local control and would be managed by a nonprofit set up for that purpose.

NHAs can also drive tourism and economic development.

According to a report by TrippUmbach that looked at the economic impact of NHAs, the projected annual economic benefit of all 49 NHA sites on the nation's economy is $12.9 billion.

The NHAs support nearly 150,000 jobs and $1.2 billion in federal taxes from sources such as employee compensation, proprietor income, indirect business tax, households and corporations.