Blackstone National Heritage Corridor Extended For 15 Years

WORCESTER, MA — A law passed by Congress before Christmas will allow the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor to receive federal assistance through at least 2037.

The National Heritage Area Act, passed on Thursday, will allow the nonprofit that oversees the Blackstone corridor to receive federal funding and technical help for the next 15 years. A limit on federal assistance was set to expire in 2023.

The nonprofit Blackstone Heritage Corridor Inc. oversees the corridor, which includes an assortment of trails and historic sites between Worcester and Providence.

National heritage areas differ from national parks because they are neither run nor funded by the National Park Service. The law passed by Congress on Thursday maintains heritage areas as separate from the park service, but allows the U.S. Department of the Interior to provide broader assistance, including helping to promote activities in heritage corridors.

The Blackstone corridor was initially designated as a heritage area in 1986 to highlight the region's role in the Industrial Revolution, and as part of a broader effort to improve the neglected waterway. There are 55 heritage areas across the U.S., including the Last Green Valley, which spans Oxford to Norwich, Conn.

While Massachusetts and Rhode Island have multiple national historical sites and recreation areas run by the National Park Service — including the Samuel Slater Mill in Pawtucket — Acadia in Maine is the only national park in New England.