ANNAPOLIS — Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation into law that lifts the statutory funding cap for Maryland’s Heritage Areas Program from $6 million to $12 million.
The bipartisan legislation, which was unanimously passed in the Senate, strengthens the state’s position as a tourism leader by removing outdated constraints to the program’s growth, supporters said. The law will create the flexibility needed to increase investment without requiring new spending or affecting the current state budget.
“Maryland’s heritage areas preserve the places and stories that connect us to who we are as a state. For nearly 30 years, this program has supported that work and delivered real economic results for communities from the western mountains to the Eastern Shore,” said Lucille Walker, co-chair of the Maryland Heritage Areas Coalition and executive director of the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area.
“Today, thanks to the bipartisan leadership of our champions in the Senate and House of Delegates, and Gov. Moore’s decision to sign this bill, the program can finally grow alongside the communities it serves.”
Local heritage areas include the Passages of the Western Potomac Heritage Area in Cumberland and the Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area in Garrett County.
The new law addresses a growing gap between demand and capacity for program grants that support the state’s booming heritage tourism industry.
In the most recent grant cycle, communities across Maryland submitted more than $12 million in eligible funding requests, more than double what the program could support under its existing $6 million cap.
As project costs have risen and community interest has grown, the cap increasingly left worthy projects without a path to funding, officials said.
The Maryland Heritage Areas Program funds projects, partnerships, historic sites, museums, trails, events and local revitalization efforts that support 40,000 jobs and yield $2.4 billion in annual economic activity across the state.
Generating $319.8 million in annual tax revenue and delivering a $7 return on every $1 invested, the program is an economic driver in every county across Maryland, officials said.
Maryland is one of only two states with a comprehensive, state-based heritage area program, leading the nation in leveraging cultural and historic heritage as a tool for economic development.