The Heritage of the Eastern Shore - Feasibility Study
HAP Recommendations

Concluding Topics

The Heritage Partnerships for Marylandâs Upper Eastern Shore recommended that the region move forward to create a successful heritage area that achieves its goal to successfully protect the beauty and heritage of the region, improve the quality of life for its residents, and craft an enriching experience for visitors.  To this end, the following recommendations should be pursued.

  • 1. The entire four-county study area should be constituted as a heritage area.
     
  • 2. The HAP Team (now ESHI) should initiate a decision-making process, involving the counties, other municipalities, and a wide variety of partners, to determine the structure and role of the proposed Upper Eastern Shore Heritage Area Council. This process could take a few months, or it may be decided that the temporary HAP Team, supplemented by more players as described in recommendation 5 below, should continue to lead the overall effort into the management planning phase where the final decision about a permanent management entity can be made.
     
  • 3. The HAP Team should pursue recognition and certification of the four-county Upper Eastern Shore Heritage Area from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, as described in the section below on ãnext steps.ä
     
  • 4. Commitment from local leadership and county offices must be solidified to provide assistance and funding for the project.
     
  • 5. The HAP Team should expand the number of partners directly involved in pursuit of recognition and certification, including continuing to seek local government endorsements (including municipalities as well as the counties) and support.  Local government support should especially include the participation of several or all county planners.
     
  • 6. The HAP Team should undertake early-action projects while pursuing state recognition and certification, focusing especially on one or two interpretive themes, tentatively identified as water and nature.
     
  • Achieving these will not only help the heritage area, but it will also help unite a region linked together by more than 375 years of shared history.

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