Mountains to Sound Greenway now a National Heritage Area

National Heritage Area - Mountains to Sound Greenway

After eight years of tireless advocacy, the Mountains to Sound Greenway has become our nation’s newest National Heritage Area (NHA).

The Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area proudly joins 54 other NHA sites in 32 states, including iconic and historic landscapes such as New York’s Niagara Falls, Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, and North Carolina’s Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. National Heritage Areas are places designated by Congress where historic, cultural, and natural resources combine to form cohesive, nationally important landscapes.

As our communities undergo massive growth, this designation gifts us new opportunities to more effectively conserve natural resources, protect our cultural heritage, and contribute to the economic vitality of the region. Specifically, it will help us to:

• Amplify our rich history and natural heritage on a national stage
• Increase visibility for the Greenway’s communities through an enhanced sense of place and importance
• Encourage ecological restoration across multiple jurisdictions and watersheds
• Grow funding opportunities through private and public partnerships
• Promote regional tourism and attract new economic opportunities

The NHA designation is not only a win for our state but will also allow the Greenway to serve as a national model for collaborative conservation. It is a creative, non-regulatory approach to conservation that is rooted in cooperation among tribal, federal, state, and municipal agencies, and local residents.

Both Shoreline and Lake Forest Park are fully within the Greenway, thanks to the efforts of Shoreline Councilmembers Will Hall and Keith McGlashan and former LFP Mayor Mary Jane Goss in 2010.