Butler, Pa.   -  Preserving Butler County’s industrial heritage and enhancing tourism and job creation is the goal of legislation recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.). H.R. 6103 would add Butler County to the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area.  English was joined by the president of the Steel Industry Heritage Corp., August Carlino and other local officials during his announcement today at the Butler Chamber of Commerce in Butler, Pa.  The measure has attracted bipartisan support, including every member of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation.

Over the past 20 years, Congress has established 27 National Heritage Areas (NHAs) to commemorate, conserve, and promote areas that include important natural, scenic, historic, and recreational resources.  NHAs are partnerships among the National Park Service (NPS), states and local communities and receive funding from a wide variety of sources including the federal government, which appropriates money for the program in its annual interior appropriations bill.  Communities that are recognized as part of a NHA are eligible to receive this funding to improve planning and projects in the designated heritage area.

“Butler County has a long, rich history of steel that has allowed our region to flourish and help build the community we live in today,” English said.  “By including Butler County in the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area, we will not only further highlight our region’s industrial roots but open a new door for local economic development and job creation.”

“We are very thankful that Congressman English recognized the importance of this project and has taken the initiative to introduce legislation that will preserve our county’s history and bring new opportunity to our region,” said Marty O’Brien, a member of the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area’s Board of Directors.

Pennsylvania has long been a thriving area for the steel community.  In 1996, the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Areas were established in seven counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, including the greater Pittsburgh area, the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio River Valleys.  For more than a century, this region was known as the Steel Making Capital of the World.  However, Butler, Pennsylvania, an equally important area, was never included in the original National Heritage Area that was established a decade ago.                                                                                      –more--
The goal of the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area is to encourage community revitalization through cultural tourism, historic preservation, conservation, educational programs and related development.  H.R. 6103 would enrich the program’s mission and include Butler, Pennsylvania in the National Heritage Area to help encourage and interpret the historical resources associated with steel and steel related industries. 

“Rivers of Steel works hard to preserve historic buildings and artifacts throughout the region.  Butler County is the birthplace of the Jeep and wire rope, used in the building of bridges in Pittsburgh and all across America,” said Butler County Commissioner Scott Lowe.  “Butler County has been home to important steel producing companies, like Pullman Standard, Armco and AK Steel.  We would be a proud member of Rivers of Steel.”

English introduced H.R. 6103 in conjunction with the pending reauthorization of the National Heritage Areas. 

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