NEWS: Sanders, Leahy, Schumer, and Gillibrand Introduce Bill to Reauthorize Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership

Press Release

U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) Tuesday introduced a bill to reauthorize the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership (CVNHP). Established in 2006 to recognize and promote the importance of the historical, cultural, recreational and economic resources of the Champlain Valley, the CVNHP is slated to sunset on October 12, 2021. Their bill would authorize the partnership for the next 15 years.

Sanders, Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said: "From the region's earliest Indigenous inhabitants to today, Vermonters have long had a strong connection to the land and the state's other natural resources. For the past 15 years, the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership has worked to celebrate and preserve the natural, cultural, and historical resources that make the Champlain Valley such an important part of our community and our shared natural heritage. I look forward to seeing the good work the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership will do over the next 15 years as they help local communities tell their stories and preserve critical resources for generations to come."

Leahy, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said: "The Champlain Valley is the defining feature of our shared landscape, and for centuries it has anchored and sustained communities throughout the region. Honoring our rich and complex relationship with this immeasurable natural resource expands its cultural and economic value even further. I am proud of the outstanding work the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership has done throughout its 15 years of federal recognition."

Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, said: "Our National Heritage Areas are the keepers of America's stories, and the Champlain Valley's rich history has enriched New York's cultural and physical landscape for generations. As New York recovers from COVID, we must make sure the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnersh

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