About our Organization

The Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area conserves, interprets and promotes forest heritage to enhance landscapes and communities in the highlands of West Virginia and Maryland

The Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area works with willing partners in 16 West Virginia counties and 2 counties in western Maryland to explore and enhance the relationship between the forested mountains and the people who live here. With the overall theme of forest heritage, we focus on conservation, forestry, cultural heritage, asset-based tourism and community development.

Beginning in 2001, Appalachian Forest Heritage Area’s stakeholders and board agreed on mission, vision, and values that shaped our efforts. Learn about the History of AFNHA, and see some of our Accomplishments at the bottom of this page.
The Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA) was designated as a National Heritage Area in March 2019 recognizing the national significance of our forest heritage. As the Local Coordinating Entity designated to oversee the National Heritage Area, our organization guided the Management Plan to shape the future of the Appalachian Forest NHA.

Mission and Goals

The Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area conserves, interprets and promotes forest heritage to enhance landscapes and communities in the highlands of West Virginia and Maryland

Our Five Goals are:

• Identify, preserve, conserve, and enhance assets that reflect forest heritage.

• Share the stories of our forest heritage through education, interpretation, and experiences.

• Support heritage tourism and community economic development to benefit rural communities.

• Connect and support partners linked by the region’s forest heritage.

• Manage, promote, and sustain AFHA, Inc as the National Heritage Area Coordinating Entity organization.

Vision

For centuries, the forests of the Appalachian Mountains have sustained local settlers, provided raw materials for America's economic expansion, and inspired visitors.  The Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA) tells the story of this forest legacy and the mountain people who forged it. 

The AFNHA attracts visitors to discover the rich forest heritage of the highlands of West Virginia and western Maryland. Visitors explore thematic trails leading them to recreation, learning, entertainment, and appreciation experiences targeted to their own interests.

Communities benefit from the AFNHA in several ways. Economic markets increase for local events and attractions, tourist services, forest industry products and the arts. Communities grow stronger through local participation and regional networking. The entire region works with a shared approach to use, conservation, and appreciation of our multi-faceted forest.

Core Values

• AFNHA values partnerships and communication across geographic lines and interest areas, seeking diverse and open participation with balanced representation of all partners in decision making, access to resources, and presentation.

• AFNHA seeks to provide education and interpretation for a broad range of local and visitor audiences, presenting messages in entertaining formats with scholarly accuracy, balanced presentation of differing viewpoints, and respect for the complexity of the issues.

• AFNHA values showing the working forest as an active force in the region's present and
  future, including making connections between the natural resources of the forest, people's livelihoods that are dependent on the forest, and the products from the forest that the whole country uses.

• AFNHA values education and interpretation on issues regarding long-term sustainability for the forest that respects needs and concerns of forestry and forest products industries, of economic and social needs of forest communities, and for health and biodiversity of the forest ecosystems.

• AFNHA utilizes cultural / heritage / nature tourism as a means to bring economic benefits to the AFNHA communities in a well-thought-out and balanced way that respects community values. Encouraging visitor respect of local standards and privacy, and targeting promotion to those sites and communities who wish to invite visitation, are among the tools that will be used to manage tourism impact.

• All participation in AFNHA programs or projects will be strictly voluntary. No resident, property owner, business, organization, or community will be considered a partner, nor will they be included in or bound by any agreements of the AFNHA, heritage area designation, or the management plan, unless they specifically choose to participate.

• AFNHA is not a land management organization, and has no land management agenda. Designation of AFNHA as a National Heritage Area will have no impact on private property within the area. AFNHA has no power or authority, nor will it ever accept any such authority, to regulate, zone, or control private property use. AFNHA cannot use federal funds to purchase land.

What We've Achieved