Our nation’s great communities are defined by great public park systems. Resting on the banks of the Ohio River, Southern Indiana is uniquely blessed by geography to have the opportunity to develop such a system. Our plan is to convert neglected land along the Ohio River into a series of beautiful public parks that positively shape the trajectory of our communities for the next generation. Through these public river parks, our community will become more active, more economically vibrant, less polluted, and more beautiful for residents and visitors alike. Success will be defined as a seamless, systemic world-class park experience across three localities that is safe, clean, fun, and beautiful all twelve months of the year for ALL.

River Heritage Conservancy is a 501 ©(3) organization dedicated to the creation, maintenance, and preservation of an exceptional, world-class, linear parkscape stretching along the Ohio River from Jeffersonville to New Albany, Indiana. Once created, we are committed to ensuring this space will remain safe, clean, and attractive while offering recreational and educational opportunities for the Louisville and Southern Indiana region throughout the year.

In order to accomplish the initial creation of such a park, as well as keeping the park maintained and the rich heritage of the area preserved for years to come, River Heritage Conservancy, working with community leaders and other leadership and community organizations, will undertake the role of soliciting and accepting contributions and grants from the general public, governmental units, and various other funding sources.

These funds will provide the resources to build, brand, and maintain a world-class, linear park.  While enhancing the quality of life for those individuals and families living and working in the area, it will also become a destination for travelers world wide.

Basic Information

• River Heritage Conservancy, Inc. (RHC), a Southern Indiana based non-profit, was created by local business and philanthropic leaders and charged with bringing a fresh perspective and approach to the design, construction, and operation of new iconic public parks along the shore of the Ohio River in Southern Indiana.

• A 501 ©(3) organization, RHC will provide focused leadership in the creation, maintenance, and programming a new world-class linear public park system stretching along the Ohio River from Jeffersonville to New Albany, Indiana.

• A project of this scale and importance cannot exist in a vacuum or without partners.  RHC, as a new non-profit, is committed to developing and building strong partnerships with local governments, citizens, businesses, and the philanthropic community to make great public park amenities and experiences possible.  We can’t, and won’t, do this work alone.  We will take leadership responsibility for its execution.

• We are building on the far-sighted work of the Ohio River Greenways Commission, the Friends of the Greenway, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, New Albany, Clarksville, and Jeffersonville that made the greenway connections and system of linear pathways possible.   We look forward to partnering with them.

• RHC is a distinct entity from the Greenways Commission and the Friends of the Greenway.

• RHC will raise funds, private and public, for the development of the new park spaces and be responsible for the operations and programming of parks built by our team.

• Parks will be completed in phases.

• Property will be acquired to build new parks.

• Initially RHC is focused on creating the organizational capacity to take on a project of this magnitude.  From this, we will next move into partnership development, master planning, fund development, and then construction.  A rational, step-by-step process is being deployed.

• Budgets for construction and operations will be completed in the master planning process.  We will fund raise and provide resources for both. 

• Funding has been provided by the local philanthropic community for this initial planning work. No taxpayer funds are being deployed to support River Heritage Inc.