Beach to Bay Heritage Area receives state tourism grant

(July 28, 2023) A total of 13 certified Maryland heritage areas, one that includes Worcester County, recently received a total of $5 million in state funding.

According to a new release from Gov. Wes Moore, the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority awarded matching grants to nonprofits, local jurisdictions, and other heritage tourism organizations across the state.

The grants support heritage tourism projects and activities that attract visitors and expand economic development and tourism-related jobs throughout Maryland.

Locally, the Beach to Bay Heritage Area, which encompasses Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset counties, received a little more than $329,600.

The release said the Maryland Heritage Areas Program has an annual economic impact of $2.4 billion in annual economic impact. Maryland Heritage Areas Authority grants generate $319.8 million in state and local taxes and support 33,815 full- and part-time jobs annually.

Organizations that received grants include museums, parks, historic sites, educational organizations, and other entities that “steward and celebrate the unique cultural and natural resources within one of Maryland’s 13 certified heritage areas,” the release said.

The heritage areas program is locally administered and overseen by the authority, which is an independent unit of government chaired by the Maryland Department of Planning Secretary Rebecca Flora, and administered by the Maryland Historical Trust. A full economic impact study can be found at mht.maryland.gov/heritageareas_impact.shtml.

To learn more about the Maryland Heritage Areas Program and the state’s certified heritage areas, visit mht.maryland.gov/heritageareas.sht ml.

In Fiscal Year 2024, applicants requested more than $9.8 million from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, with $5 million awarded. The total match leveraged was nearly $21.5 million.