Federal lawmakers who represent the Valley are pushing for a study that could see the Naugatuck Valley designated as a National Heritage Area.
If successful, the designation could see the Valley qualify for almost $1 million in grants a year that could be used for things like preserving local historic sites or creating tourism programs.
U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Joseph Lieberman — along with U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Chris Murphy — are sponsoring a bill that calls for the Secretary of the Interior to study whether the Naugatuck Valley qualifies for the designation.
Supporters say the Valley — stretching in this case along the Naugatuck River from Torrington to Shelton — certainly qualifies because it gave birth to the brass and rubber industries.
The Valley played huge rolls in conflicts ranging from the Revolutionary War until World War II. In fact, the contribution to the World War II was so significant Ken Burns chose Waterbury as one of the settings for his documentary, “The War,” supporters point out.
“I am pleased to introduce this legislation because our national heritage is embodied not just in our natural treasures, but on the cultural uniqueness of each part of our great nation,” Lieberman said in a prepared statement.
Click here to read the press release distributed Tuesday.
Now it is up to Congress to vote for it and so fund the feasibility study.
The bill introduced Tuesday is the latest phase of a long process to get the Valley recognized.
“This designation will bring attention to all the positive things going on the Valley and the Valley has to offer,” said Judith Augusta, the co-chair of Healthy Valley, a grassroots committee of the Valley Council for Health and Human Services.
Healthy Valley has been working toward the designation since 2003.
The designation could have a real economic impact on the Valley, Augusta said.
“It’s also going to be a fabulous economic generator because it will bring funds from the federal government to leverage our own funds and from corporations to develop tourism in the Valley,” Augusta said. “We are under-appreciated as far as tourism goes, and we need new economic entities and generators to take the place of the industries that have gone, that will bring jobs to the Valley, and money into the Valley from people taking our tours.”
The study will take a long time. The designation could still be several years away, according to Dan Bolognani.
He’s the executive director of the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area — a region that already has the federal recognition. It includes the state’s northwest corner and a region of Massachusetts.
“Our feasibility study took from 2001 to 2003, and then it took three additional years to finally get our legislation through Congress. It’s a very length process, not for the impatient, that’s for sure,” Bolognani said.
The designation is already bringing in large grants that are expected to total $750,000 annually once the Upper Housatonic designation is fully implemented.
