Designation of Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area Announced

Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker has officially announced the federal designation of the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area.

“Gaining national heritage area designation for the Mississippi Hills will boost our state’s economy by increasing tourism opportunities,” Senator Wicker said in a press conference in Tupelo. “There are unique stories of cultural and historical significance all across northeast Mississippi. I am glad this cultural history is being recognized by Congress so that this area of Mississippi can be promoted and shared with a larger audience.”

The boundaries of the 30-county Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area are Interstate 55, Missississippi Highway 14, and the Tennessee and Alabama state lines. The Mississippi Hills Heritage Area Alliance (MHHAA) is the coordinating entity for the heritage area and will be working with communities across the region to develop a management plan.

The Mississippi Hills Area joins a network of 48 other National Heritage Areas across the country, which are charged with preserving, conserving, and interpreting some of America’s greatest treasures, including the Atchafalaya and Cane River National Heritage Areas in Louisiana, the Mississippi Gulf National Heritage Area on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, and the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in Western North Carolina. For lists of attractions, travel tips, history, and cultural aspects of the Mississippi Hills, visit www.mississippihills.org. MHHAA project coordinator Kent Bain can be reached at 662-844-1276 or kentbain@mshills.org. Contact program manager Bobby King at 662-844-1277 or bobbyking@mshills.org. For a complete listing of all National Heritage Areas, visit nationalheritageareas.com.