Proper Planning Results in Successful Essex Heritage Projects
March can be a long and tedious month. Winter ends during the third week of the month, but the cold, raw and windy weather often lingers into April. The fact that the month is long can also be positive. For the Essex National Heritage Commission (ENHC) having 31 days and almost five weeks to plan for the rest of the year is really helpful. Several planning sessions have been held that will develop strategies for programs for the rest of the year. As the weather improves, and we move into spring and summer the products of the planning efforts will be evident.
Trails and Sails: A Weekend of Walks and Water
In 2007, this wonderful regional weekend event was the most successful event of the series. During the 2007 weekend more residents from this region became active participants, than in any other previous year. Essex Heritage is working to make the 2008 version of Trails and Sails an even more active weekend with more participants. This year during the winter months the ENHC has invited a coalition of organizations who participated in the past to come together to plan the 2008 event, and make it the best ever. Several additional outdoor events are being planned, and particular attention will be paid to health and wellness and the conservation of the resources of this region.
Photo Safaris to be Offered Again in 2008
A wonderful collaboration between Hunts Photo and Video in Melrose, and four world-renowned camera companies will once again offer spectacular opportunities for camera enthusiasts. Four locations, from the multitude of photogenic venues around this region are being chosen for exposure during the late spring and early summer, and this year we expect to extend the sessions into September. This wonderful partnership between the Essex Heritage and Hunts Photo and Video is another example of good planning and spectacular execution that results in unparalleled opportunities for the residents of this region.
Essex Heritage Explorer Activities to Focus on the Great Outdoors
Even we are on the verge of Spring, the Explorers program is already planning their summer program. This year during the summer months, plans are underway to get the Essex Heritage Explorers into the great outdoors. It is expected that the Explorers program will feature programs that will use the resources of The National Park Service. We are also contemplating other activities that will allow Explorer members the opportunity to savor experiences that will feature some of the other wonderful natural resources of this region. We encourage all who might want additional information about this membership program with its many benefits to contact the Explorer coordinator, Elizabeth Rankin at explorers@essexheritage.org for membership information.
Planning for Border to Boston Trail Continues
As we embark on our third year working on the Border to Boston Trail, we’ve come to recognize it as one of the most complex projects undertaken in the decade long history of the Essex Heritage. However daunting it is at times, our advocacy and planning efforts as part of a regional coalition to develop a new 28 mile multi-use trail connecting eight communities continues to bear fruit. At a recent are planning project meeting with state officials, it was learned that the initial design phase will be “advertised” in the first quarter of 2008. This progress is a wonderful, but there will be more planning still to be accomplished.
Essex National Heritage Scenic Byways Planning Initiative Underway
Finally, I am hopeful that some recent good news will re-ignite interest in the Essex Heritage Scenic Byways initiative. ENHC worked closely with area legislators to secure state scenic byway status for two routes in Essex County: one linking Newburyport and Gloucester and a second connecting Lynn with Cape Ann. Following each designation, ENHC sought federal and state funds to develop community-driven plans for preserving and enhancing each corridor’s scenic, natural and historic qualities. ENHC was recently notified that a second grant has been awarded for the project and we now working to effectively merge the two byways and planning projects into one. It is expected that “on the ground” planning at the community level will begin during the later half of 2008. This planning project involving a 64-mile route passing through 13 heritage area communities, will be the largest heritage development planning effort undertaken by ENHC since the county-wide heritage landscape inventory was completed in 2005.
Planning and collaboration are the key components Essex Heritage brings to the table, as we work hard to improve the quality of life for Essex County residents.
Thomas M. Leonard is President Emeritus of the Essex National Heritage Commission, Inc., the nonprofit management entity of the Essex National Heritage Area, and can be reached at tleonard@essexheritage.org.