Blue Ridge National Heritage Area

The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area is a nonprofit organization that preserves, cultivates, and promotes the natural and cultural heritage of 25 Western North Carolina counties and the Qualla Boundary to benefit current and future generations. The 25-county region of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area includes the Cherokee Qualla Boundary and the following counties: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Surry, Swain Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey. The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area was federally designated in November 2003 in recognition of the distinct character, culture, and natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains and foothills in Western North Carolina. The federal legislation that designated the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area also created a nine-member board of directors. The board then formed a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization—which operates under the name the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership—to steward the federal funds that support the designation, build partnerships in the region, attract matching funds, and implement projects. Heritage tourism in the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area contributes $2.39 billion annually to the economy of the region, supporting more than 30,000 jobs and generating $176.5 million annually in state and local tax revenue, according to a 2014 economic impact study.