Oct. 22, 2009

In a ceremony held Oct. 14 at the Selma Public Library, the Alabama Black Belt Heritage Area (ABBHA) received a check for a $10,000 grant from the Tombigbee Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D).

The ABBHA is a 19-county initiative with five counties located in the Tombigbee RC&D area, including Pickens, Bibb, Greene, Hale and Sumter. The Center for the Study of the Black Belt at UWA serves as the management entity for the ABBHA.

Rep. James L. Thomas addressed task force members at the ceremony, showing his support for the organization and its efforts.

“We recognize the fact that we are in an economic downturn, but we want to work to maintain programs on the grassroots level,” said Thomas, who represents Autauga, Dallas, Lowndes and Wilcox Counties. “We are most appreciative of the work that you do,” he said.

Noopie Cosby, program developer for the Alabama Association of RC&D Councils, applauded the task force’s efforts and also thanked Thomas and other officials for their support.

“The listening board is sensitive to community needs,” Cosby said. According to Cosby, RC&D councils have supported more than 400 projects in Alabama totaling approximately $20 million. “If you have funding, you can solve problems,” he said.

Callie N. Nelson, county extension coordinator for Dallas County, said that the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) always looks for the educational value in programs.

“When we find that a program or project is educational to our area, we are always thankful for the opportunity to help,” Nelson said.

“When we partner with people doing work at the grassroots level, we’re able to work with communities that may have been forgotten,” Nelson explained.

The area-wide reimbursable education grant provided by the Tombigbee RC&D Council in partnership with ACES, allowed the ABBHA Task Force and the Center for the Study of the Black Belt to hold its second Heritage Development Institute (HDI) July 16-17, 2008, on the University of West Alabama campus in Livingston.

Thirty-five participants were able to see how heritage development encourages tourism and protects resources while uniting citizens with community leaders to reach a common goal.

“Educating the public about heritage areas and their potential to preserve a community’s cultural heritage while stimulating economic development through visitor outreach is important,” said Dr. Tina Jones, Executive Director for the Center for the Study for the Black Belt at UWA.

The HDI is designed to provide comprehensive training opportunities for novices and practitioners in the heritage development field. It is designed to assist those involved with existing and potential heritage areas in organization, management, education, building capacity, marketing, and sustainability.

The focus on the program is to teach residents of the region to learn how to utilize the area's assets and enhance the rural economy.

Led by experienced heritage area directors and practitioners, the HDI gave heritage area enthusiasts opportunities to share ideas with John Cosgrove, executive director for the Alliance of National Heritage Areas, and Dan Rice, executive director of the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway.

Also present at HDI was Mary Jeanne Packer, who served as a consultant from Fermata, Inc. Packer’s assistance is provided by the Alabama Department of Tourism and Travel.

“Bringing leaders of successful heritage areas to the Black Belt region makes leadership training more accessible to our 19-region service area,” said Jones.

“We are grateful for the support of the Tombigbee RC&D and their interest in promoting projects that reach out to a diverse group of individuals.”