Freedom of Information Act documents from request filed by Angel Cushing, April 2021 with the National Park Service, received July 2021, posted to Western Region Property Rights Coalition Facebook page: July 24-August 2, 2021.
The documents for 2020 clearly indicate the impact the Covid 19 Pandemic had upon the development of Kansas Nebraska National Heritage Area Partnership (KNHAP)and on tourism as a whole in the United States and in the Kansas Nebraska region in particular. Covid 19 practically shut down convention, hospitality, restaurant and tourism industries, calling into question the economic contribution of the small niche market of heritage tourism and of the necessity of establishing National Heritage Areas (NHA) to diversify economies.
Before the Covid 19 lockdown, KNHAP board determined they would administer the NHA. The estimate for conducting a feasibility study ran from $50,000.00 to $120,000.00, perhaps more considering the size of the proposed NHA.
Minutes indicate KNHAP had 27 partners endorse the NHA initiative, nineteen from Kansas and only eight from Nebraska.
The National Park Service criticized KNHAP for lack of a theme for the region. Christopher Stein wrote: “It is my professional opinion that your themes will not ‘fly’ with NPS DC office as your nationally important story (whatever that is?).”
Meeting minutes indicate no work on the nationally important story, while KNHAP continued to focus on financial, organizational, and political support issues.
Operations of KNHAP were distributed over several committees while still not functioning as a 501c3. Board of directors remained focused on developing political contacts as opposed to exposing the Kansas Nebraska NHA to public scrutiny. Hospitality, convention and tourism revenues plummeted during 2020 with no clear end in sight for recovery, perhaps not until 2023 would tourism return to pre-pandemic levels.
Norman Kincaide Ph.D., April 17, 2022