Butler County deserves to be part of the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area. It deserved to be included when the heritage area was established in 1996.

In May, U.S. Rep. Phil English, R-3rd, announced that he had reintroduced legislation to add Butler County to the heritage area, which currently comprises Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

In Thursday's edition of the Butler Eagle, an article reported that the U.S. House had voted Wednesday, smoothing the way for this county to join Rivers of Steel. Now the legislation must get the approval of the Senate and President George W. Bush's signature.

It is to be hoped that the approval will be forthcoming.

It's difficult to put a price tag on what benefits Butler County might have lost over the years due to its exclusion from the heritage area.

But the National Heritage Areas were established to commemorate, conserve and promote areas that include important natural, scenic, historic and recreational resources. According to a news release from English's office in May, "NHAs are partnerships among the National Park Service (NPS), states and local communities and receive funding from a wide variety of sources including the federal government, which appropriates money for the program in its annual interior appropriations bill."

That news release adds, "Communities that are recognized as part of a NHA are eligible to receive this funding to improve planning and projects in the designated heritage area."

At the time English announced reintroduction of his legislation, which originally was introduced during the 109th Congress in conjunction with the pending reauthorization of the National Heritage Areas, Butler County Commissioner Scott Lowe touted the county's qualifications for being part of Rivers of Steel.

"Rivers of Steel works hard to preserve historic buildings and artifacts throughout the region," Lowe said. "Butler County is the birthplace of the Jeep and wire rope, used in the building of bridges in Pittsburgh and all across America. Butler County has been home to important steel-producing companies, like Pullman Standard, Armco and AK Steel. We would be a proud member of Rivers of Steel."

Engish's legislation, H.R. 1083, is important to this county. And, the county's inclusion in Rivers of Steel has been a personal goal and effort of retired Butler County Judge Martin O'Brien for several years.

The mistake of this county's leaders and people like English has been in not more forcefully and visibly pushing on behalf of this designation over the years.

"By including Butler County in the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area, we will not only further highlight our region's industrial roots but open a new door for local economic development and job creation," English said in May.

The county's long steelmaking history merited better treatment when Rivers of Steel was established and merits no further delays in getting the county the steelmaking recognition it is due.

Eleven years was too long to wait to get to this point.