Former park ranger Mary Inman knows there's something magic about this valley - something she wants preserved and showcased.

In the past few weeks, she's spoken with more than 400 residents about designating Magic Valley as a National Heritage Area under a National Park Service program that could provide millions of federal dollars for museums, interpretive centers, arts festivals and trail systems.

Magic Valley's small towns, agricultural roots and independent culture combine to tell a story unlike any other in the nation, she said. It's a story worth documenting, a story worth sharing.

"I think a big part of our heritage is our small farms and our small communities," she said. "I mean that's what it's all about - our American story of the taming of the West."

The program provides money to towns, non-profit groups and private-sector interests to protect cultural resources, build interpretive centers and for other projects that tell the story of an area.

Since 1984, the NPS has established 37 heritage areas, mostly east of the Mississippi River. The closest NHA to the Magic Valley is the Great Basin National Heritage Area in Nevada and Utah.

Established in 2006, the Great Basin NHA includes state parks, American Indian reservations, frontier towns and a Pony Express museum, among other sites, where visitors learn more about an area.

And spend money.

NHAs can bring tourist dollars to a regional economy, Inman said.

"What could be better for the Magic Valley, for our little towns that need an economic boost?" she asked.

First, though, an area must petition Congress for the designation, which requires preparing a feasibility study that could take as long as two years to complete.

Once the dollars are disbursed, money could be spent to host cultural and ethnic festivals, give tours or build museums. Locals, not the federal government, decide how the money is used.

Inman has scheduled a meeting for later this month to discuss preparing a study, and she invites anyone to attend.

Matt Christensen may be reached at 735-3243 or at matt.christensen@lee.net.