The National Heritage Area program, established by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, creates economic development by promoting a region’s important history, like the Civil War and the history of the West. Today, heritage areas continue to receive strong bipartisan support. Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) champions the program as a “cost-effective” way to “help preserve our heritage [and] spur economic growth” by bringing tourism dollars to local hotels, restaurants, and other small businesses. There are now 62 National Heritage Areas across 36 states.