The Heritage of a Desert Frontier

The Santa Cruz Valley, with its long and complex cultural past, is blessed with a rich historic legacy in a unique natural environment—important historic and cultural places located along a desert river that flows through a culturally and environmentally diverse region. Here, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Mexican, and American Territorial heritages and traditions intersect with the natural landscape in ways unique to the American story. These remain very much a source of the identity and vitality of the region.

The 11 interpretive storylines of the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area highlight significant aspects of the natural and cultural history of the region. These are the special stories of the region, and they are unique among National Heritage Areas.

Concept for SCVNHA

The SCVNHA honors and celebrates the natural environment, cultural traditions, historic places, and working landscapes of the watershed of the Santa Cruz River in Pima and Santa Cruz counties.

The concept of a Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area was created by a partnership of local interests that have a stake in the future of the region. Community-based development that preserves important resources, promotes a sense of place, and provides new economic opportunities is envisioned.

The Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area is based on the following principles:

Heritage Education

A deeper understanding and appreciation of our cultural and natural legacy can be achieved through heritage education. In addition to nurturing a sense of continuity and connection with our historical and cultural experiences in this region, heritage education instills a stronger “sense of place,” and encourages residents to consider their past in planning for the future.

Voluntary Preservation

A fundamental principle of the National Heritage Area concept is that conservation efforts are most successful when the people living closest to the resources set the agenda, identify priorities, and initiate preservation actions voluntarily. The primary function of a National Heritage Area is to provide assistance to communities, groups, landowners, and other stakeholders to help them achieve their goals of resource preservation, promotion, and interpretation.

Security of Property Rights

The National Heritage Area concept recognizes the importance of private lands, and that property owners are the primary planners of land use. Designation as a Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area does not affect private property rights, property taxes, land-use zoning, or the right to renovate or remove existing buildings on private property.