The purpose of the heritage partnership program funding is to engage national heritage area recipients, partners, communities, and or visitors in shared environmental stewardship

This $1,256,000 Cooperative Agreement award from the National Park Service's (NPS) Heritage Partnership Program (CFDA 15.939) supports the Essex National Heritage Commission, a non-profit organization in Massachusetts, in implementing programs and projects that engage the public, partners, and communities in shared environmental stewardship within the Essex National Heritage Area.

Specifically, the funding will be used to develop and deliver interpretive and educational initiatives that strengthen the ability of partner organizations to communicate, collaborate, and promote a regional identity and sense of place. Key activities include heritage tourism, educational programming, preservation/conservation services, community engagement events, teacher workshops, public lectures/tours, technical support for conservation projects, and youth jobs focused on resource management and maintenance. The performance period for this award is from July 2, 2024 to September 30, 2025.

This is done by promoting greater public and private participation in preservation, conservation, education, and outdoor recreation programs and activities, and building resource stewardship ethics in its participants. This project implements programs and projects that support the development and implementation of interpretive and educational initiatives throughout the essex national heritage area to strengthen the ability of partner organizations to communicate and collaborate and to promote a regional identity and sense of place. Beneficiaries include general public, states and or their political subdivisions, non-profits, private entities, the heritage area management coordinating entity.