RANGELEY – The Maine Mountain Heritage Network will host a meeting on Thursday, April 6, to update interested people on the network’s accomplishments and future plans and to discuss an opportunity to gain national heritage area designation for the Maine mountain region. The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. at the Club House Restaurant. All are invited.

National designation would bring new federal funding to the region, $1 million a year for 10 years.

The network is an open association of businesses, nonprofits and government entities organized to bring new revenues into the mountain region of Oxford, Franklin, Somerset and Piscataquis counties.

The network is helping local groups create information centers, develop downtown walking tours and driving itineraries and market locally made products.

The network uses the heritage area model to coordinate its activities.

The group will hold a rally for the Maine Mountain Heritage Area from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 19 at the University of Maine at Farmington. Information about the rally will be available at the April 6 meeting.

For more information on the network, visit www.mainemountains.org. To find out more about national heritage areas, visit www.cr.nps.gov/heritageareas. Call Evelyn McAllister of the Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce at 864-5364 for meeting details.