Land Use Statement

National Heritage Areas (NHA) are places where historic, cultural, and natural resources combine to form cohesive, nationally important landscapes.  Unlike national parks, NHAs are large lived-in landscapes. NHA entities collaborate with communities to determine how to make heritage relevant to local interests and needs. National Heritage Areas are a proven model of shared responsibility resulting in a cost-effective approach for the National Park Service to preserve, protect, and share the significant stories of America.

We accomplish this through grass-roots coordination with local jurisdictions, non-profits, and other private partners to invest in nationally significant sites that in turn spur regional economic development. There is no real, implied, or intended additional restrictions on local land use regulation generated by NHA designation. And NHA designation does not confer any land use authority.

The Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area does not own nor manage land within our Heritage Area. Rather, we strive to promote a variety of historical and cultural opportunities, engage visitors and residents in the landscape, and inspire learning, preservation, recreation, and stewardship though various programming efforts. For this reason, we do not typically take sides on land use within our heritage area and messaging that indicates otherwise is misaligned with our organization.