July 26th, 2021: Officials from the Appalachian National Forest Heritage Area presented a Planning Exchange Camp Monday at 4H Camp Pioneer.
Those who attended were able to give their input and help with planning of the future of the Appalachian National Forest Area. The AFNHA must submit its plans to the National Park Service in the spring of 2022.
Many participants turned out to share their knowledge and ideas. Five different sessions for participants were set up throughout the 4H Camp, and each section had five different topics of discussion.
“Everything went fantastic today, we actually had a really good turnout,” Chrissy Hall, AmeriCorps Programming Manager for AFNHA, told The Inter-Mountain Monday. “We had folks from various regions and counties in the state who gave us a lot of valued opinions and feedback. We were able to get contributions from each of the topics that are helpful for expanding our heritage area.”
Session 1 and Session 2 were both in the morning and Session 3 and Session 4 were in the afternoon following lunch. All four featured an array of topics including: Preserving Historic Assets, Conserving Natural Resources, Visitors Experience, Community Development, Appalachian Culture, Outdoor Recreation, Education and Interpretations.
Nancy Morgan, a consultant for the Appalachian National Forest Heritage Area, spoke before a group of people during one of the afternoon sessions Monday. Morgan asked for ideas from the attendees on the topics of art, culture and traditions.
“We got feedback on our mission, additionally speaking on our themes and assets,” Hall said. “We are also updating our logo, so we had everyone vote on our logo options and provide their comments.”
The camp was capped off by a reception in the afternoon that featured door prizes, snacks and drinks, plus music by local musicians Jesse Milnes and Emily Miller.
The Appalachian National Forest Heritage Area was designated as a National Heritage Area in March 2019. Officials have been working the past two years on a Management Plan that must be submitted to the National Park Service in the spring of 2022.
Published in the Inter Mountain on July 27th, 2021. Written by Edgar Kelley. Edited for this website by Lukas Ray.
