Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, has joined 77 other lawmakers from both parties in sending a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies asking that they support robust funding for National Heritage Areas including the Last Green Valley in northeastern Connecticut.

President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating all funding for National Heritage Areas under the budget blueprint released in March, Courtney said in a news release Wednesday. There are 49 of these areas across the country.

“Without this vital funding from the federal government, states would not have the resources at their disposal to preserve and protect these natural spaces,” Courtney said. “The Last Green Valley is an incredible asset to our region. We know that heritage areas actually create local jobs by establishing destinations that people want to visit and vacation nearby, making them a smart investment in both the economy and the natural environment.”

He added that government funds are used to leverage private dollars that provide an enormous value for taxpayers. On average, each $1 invested by the government attracts on average $5 of private investment — and that number is actually much higher for the Last Green Valley, he said.

“I will continue to fight for funding that is critical to sustaining the Last Green Valley and other National Heritage Areas across the country,” Courtney said.

Lois Bruinooge, executive director of The Last Green Valley, said Courtney has long been a consistent supporter of the program.

“Over the last 20 years, The Last Green Valley and its many partners have been able to leverage $11 million in federal dollars to produce more than $250 million in project impacts including preservation of historic and cultural assets, conservation of natural resources, land use, and agriculture, and promotion of economic development, community revitalization, tourism, and recreation,” she said. “Funding from the National Heritage Areas Program is an important investment that directly affects our quality of life.”

The Last Green Valley spans 1,100 square miles and encompasses 26 towns in northeastern Connecticut and nine in Massachusetts. It was first designated as a National Heritage Corridor by Congress in 1994 because of the region’s unique natural, cultural, historic and scenic resources. The area is still 77 percent forest and farm and is the last stretch of dark night sky in the coastal sprawl between Boston and Washington, D.C.

The president’s proposed budget includes elimination of the National Heritage Area Program.

Local towns in The Last Green Valley include Franklin, Griswold, Lebanon, Norwich, Plainfield, Preston, Sprague and Voluntown.