WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of Pennsylvania lawmakers on Wednesday introduced companion legislation in Congress to designate the state’s Endless Mountains region as a National Heritage Area, a move backers say could funnel federal dollars to one of the Commonwealth’s least-developed tourism corridors.
Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., filed the Senate version, while Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa. 9th District, brought forward an identical measure in the House. The bills would authorize the National Park Service (NPS) to recognize the four-county region — Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming — for its “distinctive blend of Appalachian culture, pristine waterways and 19th-century lumber history,” according to draft text reviewed by SourceRated.
“This designation will spotlight our small towns, protect working farms and help Main Street businesses attract visitors,” Casey said in a statement. Meuser added that the initiative “respects private property rights while leveraging federal resources for economic development.”
If approved, the Endless Mountains National Heritage Area would be eligible for up to $1 million in annual matching grants through 2036. Local management would fall to the nonprofit Endless Mountains Heritage Region, which has coordinated cultural programming in the area since 1998.
The NPS oversees 62 National Heritage Areas nationwide, including the Delaware & Lehigh Canal Corridor and Oil Region in Pennsylvania. Heritage status does not add federal land ownership but allows communities to tap technical assistance and marketing support from the Park Service.
Tourism officials estimate that outdoor recreation already generates roughly $400 million a year across the four counties. Jenna Maudsley, an analyst with the nonprofit Center for Rural Vitality, said a formal federal brand could “easily add 20 percent to annual visitor spending within five years.”
Not everyone is convinced. The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau said it is reviewing the proposal to ensure “no new regulatory strings” are attached. Meanwhile, the advocacy group American Stewards of Liberty warned that the designation could invite “mission creep” by future administrations.
Committee hearings are expected later this spring. Supporters hope to see the measure folded into a broader public-lands package before the end of the 119th Congress.