York and Lancaster counties have become the Susquehanna National Heritage Area.

The national designation, signed Tuesday by President Trump, is expected to help draw tourists to the region's historical sites and to enjoy recreational areas, including along the Susquehanna River.

It's also expected to spur economic development.

"It's a real matter of pride for our local communities," said Mark Platts, president of Susquehanna Heritage.

What is a national heritage area?

It's a not a national park, but a "large, lived-in landscape," according to the National Park Service. It's where "historic, cultural, and natural resources combine to form cohesive, nationally important landscapes."

"Through their resources, NHAs tell nationally important stories that celebrate our nation’s diverse heritage," the park service website states.

Money comes from the federal government to help promote "the cultural, natural and recreational benefits of the area."

It's a public-private partnership in protecting the resources, said Peter Samuel, program manager for the northeast region of national heritage areas. These areas can use the National Park Service logo, which allows residents and visitors to see the region in a slightly different way.

President Ronald Reagan signed a bill in 1984 for the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Area, the first one in the country.

Now there are 55 National Heritage Areas, including one for Lancaster and York counties.

What will this mean economically for the region?

This national designation would benefit the area in two ways: attract visitors to York and Lancaster counties and draw businesses and workers to locate here.

Ten million visitors come to the region each year and spend conservatively $200 a day, Platts said. Even if 5 percent of those visitors would stay an extra day to visit museums, stroll through towns, or hike and kayak along the river, that's an additional $100 million of economic impact that would be spent in the area each year.

Promoting the area also makes it an attractive place to work, live and locate a business. If you're enhancing the quality of life for local residents and making communities nicer, that helps to attract businesses.

"...everybody's looking for a great quality of life," he said.

What will be marketed to visitors?

The Susquehanna River's role as corridor of culture and commerce will be one of the big focuses as part of the National Heritage Area.

"This river has played such a large role in the settlement of people, in the development of industry, in the development of agriculture, in the development of power generation," Platts said. "There's fantastic stories about the way this river has shaped American culture and commerce."

That would include the settlement of the area first by Native Americans and later the Europeans, its role in the American frontier, and its part in the development of canals, the iron steamboat and other firsts.

York's role in the American Revolution and the Underground Railroad also will be promoted.

The Continental Congress met in York during the revolution, and the Articles of Confederation was signed there. Susquehanna Heritage plans to work with the York County History Center on that as it develops its new museum.

The history of the Underground Railroad covers both counties. The river served as a corridor for people who were escaping enslavement in the South, but it also was a boundary to cross.

"Crossing the river into Lancaster usually meant safety," Platts said.

Some of the history already is being told, but the national designation will allow officials to highlight it more.

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What about the recreational opportunities?

The Susquehanna River is "a fantastic outdoor recreation venue," Platts said.

When he was growing up, the river was a local place for fishing, boating or enjoying a home along the waterway.

In the past 20 years, state and local partners have worked to put the river on the map as a destination for outdoor recreation. There is now biking and hiking paths, parks, preserves, overlooks and more.

At the Columbia Crossing River Trails Center in Columbia, Lancaster County, visitors can learn about those recreational opportunities.

National heritage areas not only celebrate the history but the landscape and the place, he said.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Congressman Lloyd Smucker have supported the creation of a national heritage area for the two counties.

Will the heritage area receive money ?

Yes. The organization will receive $150,000 to get the national heritage area up and running, Platts said. The amount will likely go up to $300,000 annually after a management plan is approved. The money requires a match.

The money could be used for interpretive signs at historic sites, renovations of historic properties, the creation of maps or websites, and to run programs, such as boat tours.

The organization plans to run a pilot boat tour on the river this summer with some funding already in place. The money for the national heritage area could be used to sustain the operation into the future, Platts said.

The money also can be used for consultants and staff.

Will it have any effect on local government and planning?

It will not have any effect on land use, zoning or comprehensive plans. The designation does not bring any regulatory authority, Platts said.

However, it does help the organization in saying that this is a nationally significant area, and with any proposal, "we ought to look at it through the lens of what does this mean for our national significance, and does that add to or does it detract from the thing that we're trying to do?" That might lead the organization to take a position, speak out, or support what is planned.

Can the designation be used to save places?

The money cannot be used to acquire properties, such as the endangered Mifflin House. The 18th century farmhouse near Route 30 in Hellam Township served as a safe house on the Underground Railroad.

However, the money could be used for renovations to historic buildings and interpretation at those sites.