U.S. Senator Young leads effort to designate Calumet Region as National Heritage Area

Today, U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) introduced legislation to designate the Calumet Region, which includes Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties in Indiana and Will and Cook counties in Illinois, as a National Heritage Area (NHA). NHAs are designated by Congress to recognize places where natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources converge to form nationally significant landscapes.

The Calumet Region has long been a center of industrial growth and remains the leading steel-producing region in the United States today. Located at the southern tip of Lake Michigan, the area was the site of early advancements in ecology, has been registered as a natural botanical preserve, and is home to the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Pullman National Historical Park. The economic opportunities combined with natural resources have led to decades of migration of working class families to the region. 

“The Calumet Region’s industrial legacy, unique environment, and recreational spaces have long made the area an attractive destination to live, work, and visit. Our efforts to designate the region as a National Heritage Area will preserve and promote its rich resources and culture for years to come,” said Senator Young.

“The Calumet region is both rich in history and natural resources, home to the Pullman National Historical Park, the coast of Lake Michigan, and the Indiana Dunes National Park,” said Senator Durbin.  “I’m joining Senator Young to introduce legislation that would establish a Calumet National Heritage Area to honor the history, culture, and rich environment in the region.”

“The Calumet region tells the story of Northwest Indiana’s history and natural beauty. This NHA designation will protect it for future generations and strengthen our local communities,” said Senator Banks.

“It’s important that we honor and preserve areas that played pivotal roles in both our state and nation’s history,” said Senator Duckworth. “I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation with Senator Young and Senator Durbin, not only to recognize the Calumet region’s cultural legacy and the many ways immigrants enrich our communities, but also to ensure its preservation by establishing the Calumet National Heritage Area for future generations to experience and learn from.”

The designation of the Calumet National Heritage Area would enhance existing efforts to promote the cultural, natural, historical, and recreational resources of the Calumet Region made by Indiana, Illinois, public-private partnerships, and volunteers. 

U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly (D-IL-2), Rudy Yakym (R-IN-2), and Frank Mrvan (D-IN-1) are leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

The Calumet Heritage Partnership and the Field Museum of Natural History support the effort to designate the Calumet Region as an NHA.

Statements of Support:

“The Field Museum supports the creation of the National Heritage Area and celebrates the people, places, and landscapes of the Calumet region,” said the Field Museum of Natural History.

“The introduction of this bill is the culmination of years of tireless efforts by the Calumet Heritage Partnership, regional legislators, local communities, and various stakeholders committed to preserving the unique legacy of the Calumet region,” said CHP Board Chair, Gary R. Johnson.

Full statements of support can be found here.