Harrisburg , PA – Members of Pennsylvania 's twelve state and nationally-designated Heritage Areas and Corridors today announced that they have formed the HeritagePa Association to serve as a statewide resource network for their organizations. The collaborative effort is intended to strengthen and expand each region's productivity and contributions.

HeritagePA President Jane Sheffield, Executive Director of the Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area in western Pennsylvania , said the new organization “will serve as a resource for professional leadership, experience, coordination and advocacy within the Heritage Areas' community. Uniting and creating a forum for sharing best practices and developing strategies to better honor our past and build our future reflects our similarities and common values and goals.”

HeritagePA is a non-profit outgrowth of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Heritage Areas Program, which formally designates Heritage Areas within the state and provides funding and other assistance. The Program helps regions promote innovative community revitalization and economic development through tourism, enhancing visitor experiences, sustaining public-private partnerships, and encouraging the conservation of each region's natural, historic, scenic and cultural resources.

Founding members of HeritagePA include: Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area, Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Endless Mountains Heritage Region, Lackawanna Heritage Valley, Lancaster-York Heritage Region, Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, Lumber Heritage Region, National Road Heritage Corridor, Oil Region National Heritage Area, PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor, Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area and the Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area.

“ Pennsylvania 's twelve Heritage Areas and Corridors represent a large portion of our state, with millions of citizens and billions in economic impact to our Commonwealth,” said Sheffield . “By working together, we can strengthen and grow each of our Heritage Areas so that these benefits continue and expand. Plus, we want to speak as one voice and clearly make the case for our heritage areas' impact and value to Pennsylvania 's economy.”

HeritagePA was established through a state grant in 2007, and representatives from each of the groups have been meeting regularly in Harrisburg over the past year to establish the new resource network. A new website for the organization has been established at www.heritagepa.net , which contains both primary information and links on each Heritage Area or Corridor, as well as a members-only section where each Area can share information.