By MARY POWELL
A lot of information has been going around about the Proposed Kansas Nebraska National Heritage Area Partnership. Let us look at the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area (FFNHA) that is already in Kansas and in Western Missouri.
National Heritage Areas push Economic Development and Tourism. So, if an area has Economic Development, that should allow for an increase in population as more jobs are available. How has the population in theses counties benefitted by being a National Heritage Area? What has the population done in the 40 counties of the FFNHA that was established in 2006 and the management plan was approved in 2009? Using data from Wikipedia, I pulled the populations for each county involved. The 2010 & 2018 populations are used for comparison.
Of the 40 counties in FFNHA, only 13 counties saw an increase in population. The areas of population growth were as expected around Fort Riley and Manhattan, Kansas, and the Kansas City Metro Area. You can generally expect growth in population around a military post as it grows with consolidation of troops. The Bio-Security Lab in Manhattan was expected to bring more jobs to the area but these jobs in no way reflect any influence by the National Heritage Area. Population growth in the counties surrounding Kansas City is a given at any time and I doubt the NHA had anything to do with increased jobs in the Metro Area.
One would think that a National Heritage Area would promote growth with the promise of Economic Development, however, of the 40 counties in the FFNHA, 27 counties saw a DECREASE in population! Where are the jobs? Where is the Economic Development?
Let us break it down in numbers.
When you include the Fort Riley and Manhattan area growth, the numbers still look dismal. Less than 28% of the counties saw an actual increase in population. Just a little over 72% saw a decrease in population.
One wonders, when you look at the numbers and then, looking at a map. This allows your mind to grasp reality a bit better.
What benefit has this NHA realized for the People of Kansas and Missouri? Where did the money go that the FFNHA received for promoting Economic Development and Tourism? The FFNHA is supposed to have 15 years to become self-sufficient, have they? OR is the FFNHA still getting Taxpayer dollars to fund a non-profit organization that has done little or nothing for the counties?
IF the Proposed Kansas Nebraska National Heritage Area Partnership becomes an NHA, will it truly help Economic Development and Tourism for those 22 Kansas Counties and 27 Counties in Nebraska? Or will it become like the Freedom’s Frontier NHA?
Another question that lays heavy on many farmers and ranchers as of late, is the 30x30 Executive Order that does not say what land has been selected for the permanent control by the Federal Government. In some of the wording of the 30x30 included in the CAP (Center for American Progress) report, lands included to be permanently protected include National Parks, Wilderness Areas, Permanent Conservation Easements, State Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, National Monuments or OTHER PROTECTED AREAS. COULD National Heritage Areas be considered “PROTECTED AREAS”? Could CRP land be considered “PROTECTED AREAS”?
Foundations for National Heritage Areas are rarely forthcoming with information when people ask hard questions. You cannot use the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to obtain information because they are not a government entity. Yet the NHA’s can regulate these areas because they are areas to set aside for “Heritage” purposes.
Think long and hard about this, folks. The map tells a story, as do the numbers on population growth. Do you really think this Proposed Kansas Nebraska National Heritage Area Partnership will truly benefit you?
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Mary Powell is a former resident with continuing ties to Lincoln County.