Our Work
Many partners working together are preserving the best of the past, while ensuring a vibrant future along our canals and waterways. At the helm are the federally appointed Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission and its non-profit partner the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund. Our work is guided by an award-winning Preservation and Management Plan that helps many partners achieve common goals.
We are working to ensure that the Corridor's historic and distinctive sense of place is widely recognized and consistently protected. Our programs and projects build support for preservation and protect and enhance the authenticity and integrity of the Corridor's historic resources and canals for the benefit of this and future generations.
Each year, we help hundreds of thousands of visitors find their way to the best of what the National Heritage Corridor offers. Not only do we want people to have a great trip—we are striving to develop a more integrated system of historic, cultural, and recreational resources that collectively constitute the Corridor's national significance.
With a 524-mile long Corridor that is home to 3.2 million New Yorkers, we are tasked with looking at the big picture. Our ability to reach across the distance and bring diverse partners together is key. We are in a unique position to leverage federal, state, and local resources and focus public and private investment to benefit the entire region.
MISSION
The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, in partnership with the National Park Service and numerous local, state, and federal partners, works to preserve and share our extraordinary heritage, to promote the Corridor as a world-class tourism destination, and to foster vibrant communities connected by the waterway.
OUR UNIQUE POSITION
- Provide a critical link that unites communities and assets along the 524-mile Corridor under a strong, recognized brand
- Leverage financial resources and focus public and private investment to advance the entire region.
- Draw international and national attention to New York's legendary canal corridor.
- Share expertise, innovative ideas, and resources to support people who are working to preserve and enhance Corridor assets and local economies.
- Bring diverse partners together to implement projects with a broad, Corridor-wide scope, achieving bigger results than any single organization could achieve alone.
THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
The National Park Service provides technical assistance and financial support, subject to annual Congressional appropriations. Erie Canalway is one of more than 50 national heritage areas.
By the Numbers
The NYS Canal System supports over $6.2 billion annually in non-tourism economic activity.
Canal-related events and tours have a $1.3 billion economic impact each year.
The National Heritage Corridor generates $307.7 million in economic impact and supports 3,240 jobs.
Find economic impact reports on our News & Publications page.
SUSTAINING OUR WORK
If you love our canal heritage and the distinctive canal communities, engineering marvels, waterways and trails that make the Erie Canalway extraordinary, join us in building a vibrant future along the waterway.