Stop FL Panhandle Maritime National Heritage Area

Update on Stop Florida Panhandle Maritime National Heritage Area

Currently, we are preparing a FOIA request to the National Park Service for their communications regarding Florida Panhandle Maritime National Heritage Area. Federal representatives are non-responsive.

Okaloosa County Republican Executive Committee has passed (without objection) a resolution against FPMNHA and we expect that other counties will follow suit. Please share with your local elected officials. (

Resolution of the Okaloosa County Republican Executive Committee

opposing designation of Florida Panhandle Maritime Landscape National Heritage Area  

Whereas, Northwest Florida Maritime Landscape Alliance for Preservation, Inc. is pursuing a National Heritage Area designation encompassing 14 northwest Florida counties;

Whereas, the establishment of a 14-county National Heritage Area management entity would unduly influence local officials to pass zoning laws not otherwise needed in order to accommodate a National Heritage Area Management Plan; The Plan is developed by the entity in collaboration with the National Park Service and approved by the Secretary of the Interior; This influence alters well-established local county processes for land use regulation;

Whereas, the National Heritage Area managing entity is run by non-elected individuals, it is not a government entity bound by state and federal law regarding governments; information and meeting disclosures, government in the sunshine laws, nor subject to Freedom of Information Requests as well as the management plan and actions taken by the NHA are not subject to public vote;

Whereas, a National Heritage Area designation invites interference in local affairs by the National Park Service in collaboration with special interest groups who claim to be stakeholders; many of these groups do not have the historical perspective or deeply felt stewardship responsibility of owners who have worked the land over generations;  

Whereas, National Heritage Areas divert resources away from the National Park Service’s main mission of taking care of existing national parks that suffer from deferred maintenance and repair backlogs of over $18 BILLION;  National Heritage Areas have a history of not delivering on promised funding and not ever becoming sustainable thus requiring ever more federal funding; this results in chronic dependency on the taxpayer rather than success as a free market activity during a period of very troublesome federal debt;

Whereas, a fundamental interdependence exists between individual liberty and the right to own property unfettered with oppressive regulations and restrictions; the Okaloosa County Republican Executive Committee is very concerned that a National Heritage Area designation would result in landowners being unable to use and enjoy their property as they see fit;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Okaloosa County Republican Executive Committee opposes the Florida Panhandle Maritime Landscape National Heritage Area and does not agree to an unelected non-government management entity influencing land use policy within the boundaries of Okaloosa County, FL.    

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was adopted by the Okaloosa County Republican Executive Committee.  

Sandra L. Atkinson, Chairman, Okaloosa County Republican Executive Committee                                 October 18, 2021                                                    

More Action to StopNHA.com

Currently there is no bill for the Florida Panhandle NHA, and we must keep it that way.

However, The Nation’s Oldest Port National Heritage Area Act (Rep. Rutherford, H.R. 2107) proposes an area from the Florida-Georgia line to south of Flagler Beach be designated as an NHA. The bill should be withdrawn. Our panhandle Reps Gaetz and Dunn are co-sponsors along with other GOP Representatives. They should withdraw.

They co-sponsor each other’s bills! Call, email, or write them and say NO to NHAs...

Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL-CD 1):
D.C. (202) 225-4136
https://gaetz.house.gov

Rep. Neal Dunn (FL-CD 2):
D.C. (202) 225-5235
https://dunn.house.gov

Rep. Kat Cammack (FL-CD 3):
D.C. (202) 225-5744
https://cammack.house.gov

Rep. John Rutherford (FL-CD 5):
D.C. (202) 225-2501
https://rutherford.house.gov

Rep. Michael G. Waltz (FL CD 6):
D.C. (202) 225-2706
https://waltz.house.gov

Senator Rick Scott:
D.C. (202) 224-5274
https://www.rickscott.senate.gov

Senator Marco Rubio:
D.C. (202) 224-3041
https://www.rubio.senate.gov

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