Heritage Day at Payne Lake- from USFS

Saturday, October 13, 2007
1:30 PM—3:00 PM

Spillway Pavilion

Please join us for a fall afternoon by the lake. Documenting our heritage will help each of us re-connect to the land,and provide a template for helping future generations appreciate the rich heritage and culture of this area.

Attention all front porch historians, folklorists, genealogists, and those interested in how the land and the people came together to shape this place we call home!! There is an ongoing effort to have the Alabama Black Belt and surrounding lands designated as a National Heritage Area. To be included in this effort we are challenged to identify and research our local heritage, especially as it relates to the forest and nearby communities. Judy Martin and students from Judson College will be on hand to facilitate the process and document your stories. In the coming months we will complete the research and provide the attendees with a summary of the stories collected. Over time the stories will be submitted for inclusion in the Black Belt Heritage Area designation and they may be developed as interpretive opportunities. The designation would give international attention to the region which is important for its history and impact on race relations, culture, recreation, and natural resources.

Caring for the Land, Serving People

For additional info:
Judy B. Martin
Telephone 334.683.8891
E-mail: jujolmart@bellsouth.net

Cindy Ragland
Telephone 205-926-9765 (ext 226)
E-mail: cragland@fs.fed.us

Matt Hartzell
Telephone: 205-926-3117
Email: mdh0007@auburn.edu

What is a National Heritage Area?
A "National Heritage Area" is a place designated by the United
States Congress where natural, cultural, historic and recreational
resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally distinctive landscape
arising from patterns of human activity shaped by geography.
These patterns make National Heritage Areas representative of the
national experience through the physical features that remain and
the traditions that have evolved in the areas.