*REVISED*

Maryland Heritage Areas Authority to Hold Two Virtual Hearings

Hearings to be Held to Enlarge the Boundaries of the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area, Beach to Bay Heritage Area, and Four Rivers (Annapolis, London Town, and South County) Heritage Area

(March 23, 2021) BALTIMORE, MD – Later this month, the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA) will hold two virtual public hearings on requests to enlarge the boundaries of the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area (https://www.heartofthecivilwar.org/), the Beach to Bay Heritage Area (https://www.beachesbayswaterways.org/), and the Four Rivers (Annapolis, London Town, and South County) Heritage Area (https://fourriversheritage.org/).  

The first hearing will be held on Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. and will include a request to enlarge the boundaries of the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area to include property related to the Hagerstown Aviation Museum and annexed areas of the City of Hagerstown in Washington County. It will also include a request to enlarge the Beach to Bay Heritage Area to include the area around Mt. Zion Memorial Church located at 29071 Polks Road in Princess Anne, Somerset County, and the West Ocean City Commercial Harbor in Worcester County.

The second hearing will be held on Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. and will include a request to enlarge the boundaries of the Four Rivers (Annapolis, London Town, and South County) Heritage Area to include an additional buffer to existing boundaries; the North County African American Trail; the Mid-County Cluster; the Jug Bay Cluster; recreational trails; and additional heritage tourism sites throughout Anne Arundel County.

Both hearings will be held virtually via YouTube live stream. Interested parties will have an opportunity to submit written testimony to staff for the record until 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 7, 2021. Due to  telework requirements, all submissions should be sent via email to jen.ruffner@maryland.gov. If you are unable to submit your testimony via email, the address for MHAA is:

Maryland Heritage Areas Authority
Maryland Historical Trus
100 Community Place, 3rd Floor
Crownsville, MD 21032-2023
Attn: Jennifer Ruffner

Certified Heritage Areas promote heritage tourism and foster partnerships between governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to create more livable and economically sustainable communities. They preserve and celebrate Maryland’s history, cultural traditions, and natural areas through grants, loans, tax credits, and other tools.

March 30, 2021 Hearing – Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area and Beach to Bay Heritage Area

March 31, 2021 Hearing – Four Rivers (Annapolis, London Town, and South County) Heritage Area

MHAA is an independent unit of state government that operates in the Maryland Department of Planning. For more information, visit the website at http://mht.maryland.gov/heritageareas.shtml or email jen.ruffner@maryland.gov .

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