The new Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership (CVNHP) is certain to have a positive impact in the cultural heritage resources and the tourism economy of the region. There are only 40 places designated as national heritage areas (NHA) in the U.S. This designation allows the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) to provide financial and professional support to communities, museums and organizations that work to interpret and promote our region’s history and culture. Over the past 16 years, the LCBP has promoted interpretation of the Champlain Valley’s natural and cultural treasures in order to build appreciation and improve stewardship of these resources.

As the managing entity of the CVNHP, the LCBP wants your input on how this new Heritage Area should function. Over the next few months, the LCBP will be crafting a vision and mission and a management plan for the CVNHP and we need your help. Learn more >>

The LCBP has funded more than $1 million in cultural heritage and recreation projects. Some notable projects include:

• LCBP wayside exhibit program: Started in 2001, this popular program has assisted in the development of 164 new interpretive signs in the Champlain Valley.
• Lake Champlain Bikeways: The LCBP was instrumental in establishing this 1,300-mile network of bicycle routes in the Champlain Valley. In addition to the 363-mile principal route around the Lake and along the Richelieu River, Bikeways offers several interpretive theme loops for cyclists. Many of these guides are available in French.
• The Lake Champlain underwater survey: Partially funded by the LCBP, the study explored 288 square miles of lake bottom and documented 75 new shipwrecks. These new-found cultural resources and the many previously-known shipwrecks give Lake Champlain the most extraordinary archaeological collection of historic ships in North America. The survey also has raised public awareness about the Lake's significant history and the threat that zebra mussels hold for these irreplaceable resources.
• Lake Champlain Underwater Historic Preserve System: The LCBP has provided support to open new historic preserves and purchase equipment for the safe exploration of some of Lake Champlain’s most historically significant shipwrecks.
• Water Trails: The LCBP has provided assistance to the Lake Champlain Paddlers Trail, which links access sites and camping for paddlers along the shorelines of New York, Vermont and Quebec. Grants have been awarded to establish two interpretive water trails: 1) Explore Shelburne Bay and 2) The Narrows.