A section of the interior appropriations bill calls for the National Park Service to work with the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation to establish a National Heritage Area in the Bismarck-Mandan area. The special designation would give Bismarck-Mandan national recognition and draw more people to the area.

The Senate approved the bill late last month.

A National Heritage Area is designated by Congress and ties together cultural, historic and recreational resources in an area.

Tracy Potter, executive director of the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation, said the designation means the Bismarck-Mandan area, and its historic attractions, will be listed in National Park Service publications and on its Web site.

"This is a first step. It could be very good and very big," Potter said. "We're very excited about it."

There are 23 National Heritage Areas across the country, including MotorCities-Automobile National Heritage Area in Michigan and the Tennessee Civic War National Heritage Area.

A local area hasn't yet been determined, but would likely include such sites as Fort Lincoln, the Heritage Center and Double Ditch.

According to the National Park Service's Web site, the National Heritage Area designation is a recognition of a community's effort to identify its natural and cultural resources.