Greenway National Heritage Area Legislation Introduced in Senate

On July 15th Senator Maria Cantwell and co-sponsor Senator Patty Murray introduced a bill (S.2602) in the U.S. Senate to designate the Mountains to Sound Greenway as a national heritage area. The legislation joins Rep. Dave Reichert’s companion bill (H.R. 1785) in the U.S. House. WTA supports the Greenway’s efforts to become a national heritage area.

The Mountains to Sound Greenway

Stretching from Puget Sound to Ellensburg, the Mountains to Sound Greenway is a 1.5 million-acre landscape with more than 1,600 miles of trail that has sustained generations through an abundance of natural and recreational resources.

Alpine peaks, wilderness lakes, working farms and lush forests within the Greenway are connected by roads and trails, offering local residents and visitors a place to live, work and play in communities deeply rooted to the land around them.

National heritage area designation

A national heritage area is a large, lived-in area designated by Congress where natural, cultural, historic and recreational resources combine to form a landscape of national distinction. This designation provides a flexible strategy to encourage residents, government agencies, nonprofit groups and private partners to collaboratively plan and implement projects to preserve a landscape, without affecting private property rights. Official recognition of the Greenway would:

• Create a framework for communicating the national significance of the Greenway.
• Build public awareness, recognition and involvement in stewardship of the Greenway.
• Empower citizens, businesses, interest groups and government to work together more efficiently.
• Provide a legal structure to enable governments to work together across jurisdictions.
• Name the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust as the local coordinating entity.

Next steps

The Senate bill will now head to the Committee on Natural Resources for committee review and approval. In the House, the bill has been referred to the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regular for review.

Additional information

• Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area information page

Mountains to Sound map, courtesy mtsgreenway.org.