House Bill 1555

AN ACT TO DESIGNATE THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA AS THE DELTA HERITAGE CROSSROADS REGION; TO SPECIFY THE PURPOSE OF THE DESIGNATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. The Mississippi Delta is hereby designated as the Delta Heritage Crossroads Region, a place of concentrated heritage resources. The purpose of such designation is to:

(a) Forge public and private partnerships that result in creative coalitions aimed toward conserving and preserving the intrinsic values contained within the seven-county area that is rich in heritage, cultural, recreational, historic and natural resources;

(b) Establish central coordination of efforts that bring together local, state, and federal governments, directly or indirectly, in designing, establishing, and maintaining physical, educational, and social structures that support tourism enterprises, repositories of culture, and interpretive centers that promote the Delta's heritage and cultural assets;

(c) Develop collective approaches to increasing public awareness of and appreciation for the historical, scenic, natural, and cultural resources and sites in the trace area;

(d) Create incentives for the coming together of private and nonprofit cultural organizations dedicated to the restoration of any historic building or structure and of any damaged or impaired natural systems or features in the trace area;

(e) Identify and utilize educational institutions that serve as repositories for ethnic and African-American history and culture, the Civil Rights struggle, post-Civil War maroon communities, Rosenwald schools, and the Delta region's early pioneers to current history makers. Participating counties will identify and select appropriate educational institutions; and

(f) Encourage, by appropriate means, enhanced economic development in the Delta Heritage Crossroads Region consistent with the goals of community and regional development.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2005.