EMHR water trail coordinator Emily Baldauff addresses attendees at last year’s annual meeting of the Endless Mountains Heritage Region. This year’s meeting will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 8 in Dushore. A second meeting focused on the EMHR’s pursuit of a National Heritage Area designation will be held Wednesday evening in Wyalusing.
The Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) will hold its 2025 annual meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Pealer Hall in Dushore from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Later that day, at 6 p.m., the EMHR will host a meeting at Wyalusing Fire & Rescue to present to the public a draft of its National Heritage Area (NHA) feasibility study. Pealer Hall is located at 109 East Main St. in Dushore. The fire hall is at 24 Second St. in Wyalusing.
In the morning, the EMHR Board of Directors will present an overview of an exciting year that has included many recreational and historic preservation events as well as other milestones.
“The EMHR continues to expand its offerings to visitors to and residents of Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming counties. And the efforts of our dedicated staff and supporters are being recognized well beyond our borders,” said EMHR executive director Cain Chamberlin. “Not only was our Endless Mountains 430 gravel loop – formerly known as the Endless Mountains Gravel Bikepacking Loop – for cyclists recently named one of ‘Pennsylvania’s Great Places’ by the American Planning Association, we believe that we have a very strong chance of achieving a National Heritage Area designation.”
Speakers at the morning meeting will include representatives from organizations and municipalities who successfully implemented projects funded in part by EMHR Partnership/Mini-Grants. The projects range from enhancements to and restoration of numerous historical sites and structures in the four-county area to special events and educational programs. EMHR’s water trail coordinator, Emily Baldauff, will provide an update on the water trail program for the Susquehanna River North Branch. Nancy Morgan and August Carlino of Point Heritage Development Consulting will also present the National Heritage Area feasibility study draft and talk about next steps in the process.
The morning meeting will conclude with lunch from MaryBeth’s WestSide Deli. Participation in the meeting is free, but registration is required at EMHeritage.com/events.
Morgan and Carlino will provide a more extensive overview of the NHA at the evening meeting in Wyalusing. After 27 years as a state-designated Heritage Area, the EMHR has been working with Point Heritage Development Consulting for the past two years toward a federal designation under the National Parks Service.
“Our NHA consultants brought a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table to begin this intricate process and have worked with us every day as we collected ideas and information from the public and like-minded organizations, as well as support from our elected officials,” Chamberlin related. “When the consultants told us that they were genuinely impressed by what we brought back to them, we knew we were on to something good that will enhance the visibility of the Endless Mountains and bring additional assets to the Region.”
Registration is not required for the evening meeting, but interested readers can learn more about the NHA pursuit and other opportunities with the EMHR at EMHeritage.org.