Editing Essex County, Massachusetts (section)

==Essex National Heritage Area==
{{See also|List of Registered Historic Places in Essex County, Massachusetts}}
On November 12, 1996, Essex [[U.S. National Heritage Area|National Heritage Area]] (ENHA) was authorized by Congress. The heritage area consists of all of Essex County, MA a {{convert|500|sqmi|km2|adj=on}} area between the Atlantic Coast and the Merrimack Valley. The area includes 34 cities and towns; two National Historic Sites (Salem Maritime National Historic Site and Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site); and thousands of historic sites and districts that illuminate colonial settlement, the development of the shoe and textile industries, and the growth and decline of the maritime industries, including fishing, privateering, and the China trade.<ref>''The National Parks: Index 2001-2003,'' Washington, D.C.: [[National Park Service]], p. 104.</ref> The Essex National Heritage Area<ref>[http://www.essexheritage.org/ Essex National Heritage Area]</ref> is one of 49 heritage areas designated by Congress, affiliated with the National Park Service.

The [[Essex National Heritage Commission]] is a non-profit organization chartered to promote tourism and cultural awareness of the area, connecting people to the places of Essex County, MA. The commission's mission is to promote and preserve the historic, cultural and natural resources of the ENHA by rallying community support around saving the character of the area. This is accomplished through the commission's projects and programs, which include Partnership Grant Program, Explorers membership program, photo safaris, and the annual September weekend event Trails & Sails,<ref>[http://www.essexheritage.org/ts/ Trails & Sails]</ref> as well as other important regional partnership building projects like the [[Essex Heritage]] Scenic Byway, and the Border to Boston trail.