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WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) introduced the Preserving the MotorCities Heritage Act. This important legislation would extend the authorization of the MotorCities National Heritage Area Partnership through 2036 to commemorate, conserve and promote the cultural, historical, and natural resources of one of the most impactful and significant stories of American industrial history—the development of the automobile and the legacy stories of the people it has inspired across southeast and central Michigan.

The MotorCities National Heritage Area is one of 30 National Heritage Areas nationwide that face an authorization that will sunset on September 30, 2021 or October 12, 2021 without swift congressional action.

“The stories told by the MotorCities National Heritage Area cannot be told anywhere else.  They are the stories of how auto tinkerers became titans, how the area helped establish and expand the United States as an industrial power, and how the automotive industry helped create the middle class,” said Rep. Dingell. “We must renew and extend its authorization to ensure this important Michigan heritage area can continue to receive federal funds. Preservation of this history helps to develop economic, cultural and recreational opportunities in the region through an array of grants and programs intended to inspire passion for and awareness of the automobile, the workers who built them, and the history of the industry.”

“I applaud this effort by Congresswoman Dingell to ensure the legacy of our auto history continues the beneficial affiliation with the National Park Service” said Shawn Pomaville-Size, Executive Director at the MotorCities National Heritage Area.  “National Heritage Areas are a proven model of the cost-effectiveness of a partnership approach.  Together with local communities in Michigan, this affiliation will allow us to continue to improve our economic and cultural outlook by preserving our singular auto legacy.”

The MotorCities National Heritage Area was created by Congress in 1998, reauthorized in 2014 and amended in 2019 by the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act. The MotorCities National Heritage Area includes sixteen counties and represents over 10,000 square miles of southeast and central Michigan where the region, which includes Detroit, Flint, and Dearborn, “put the world on wheels”. Annually, the MotorCities National Heritage Area supports over 5,000 jobs and generates nearly $500 million in economic impact, and for every federal dollar invested, an additional $5.50 is leveraged in local and private funding partnerships.

To view the full text of the bill, please click here.