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                                                                    195 Hemphill Knob Road
                                                                    Asheville, NC 28803
                                                                    (828) 298-5330
                                                                    www.blueridgeheritage.com




        Contact: Penn Dameron                             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
        Phone: (828) 298-5330, ext. 307                   June 19, 2008


              HERITAGE GRANTS PROGRAM ANNOUNCED

ASHEVILLE, NC ­ JUNE 19, 2008: The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area has announced its
2008 Heritage Grants Program, which will provide and leverage funding for innovative projects
that preserve and promote the heritage of Western North Carolina.

Grants will be targeted toward preservation, interpretation, and marketing projects which focus
on the region's agricultural, Cherokee, craft, music, and natural heritage ­ the core interpretive
themes of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area.

This year's grant cycle will also continue to focus on projects identified by volunteer Heritage
Councils on the Qualla Boundary and in each of the 25 counties that comprise the Blue Ridge
National Heritage Area region.

"Local community planning is at the heart of our grants program," says BRNHA Executive
Director Penn Dameron. "We'd like to see some of these plans become a reality, especially
those that will have a regional or multi-county impact."

"Our region's heritage is nationally significant," says John Cooper, BRNHA Board Chair.
"Preserving and promoting this heritage will help revitalize our towns and communities."

The total pool of funding for the 2008 grant cycle is $350,000. Grant awards will range between
$1,000 and $35,000. Applicants must provide at least an equal match. Nonprofit organizations,
academic institutions, and units of state, local, and federally-recognized tribal governments are
eligible to apply. Projects must be located in the 25-county region of the Blue Ridge National
Heritage Area or the Qualla Boundary. Funds for the BRNHA grants program are provided by
the federal government through the National Park Service.

The deadline for grant applications is October 1, 2008. Grant information sessions will be held
around the region in July. Complete information on the 2008 Heritage Grants Program can be
found at www.blueridgeheritage.com.

The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, designated by Congress and the President in
November, 2003, works to protect, preserve, interpret, and develop the unique natural,
historical, and cultural resources of Western North Carolina for the benefit of present and
future generations, and in so doing to stimulate improved economic opportunity in the
region. National Heritage Areas are locally-governed institutions that encourage residents,
non-profit groups, government agencies, and private partners to work together in planning
and implementing programs that preserve and celebrate America's defining landscapes.

The views and conclusions contained in this news release are those of the authors and should not
be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government. Mention of trade
names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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