Abstract

Since 1984, U.S. National Heritage Areas (NHAs) have functioned as a distinct form of protected area—federally designated but locally managed—to preserve cultural landscapes, support economic revitalization, and foster civic engagement. Although created through bipartisan legislation, NHAs emerged within the planning framework of New Regionalism, which emphasizes cross-jurisdictional cooperation and place-based development.

This article argues that NHAs have evolved from relatively uncontroversial policy tools into contested participatory arenas where debates over economic, environmental, and social sustainability are increasingly shaped by shifting federal priorities and ideological realignments. Through analysis of congressional voting patterns, policy trends, and the institutional role of the National Park Service, it identifies distinct waves of expansion and retrenchment.

These patterns reveal a broader transformation: As older NHAs consolidate resilience through institutional adaptation, newer ones face growing precarity—positioning NHAs as bellwethers for the future of participatory regional governance and the redefinition of protected areas in the United States.