After initially rejecting a measure to designate the Santa Cruz Valley as a National Heritage Area, the U.S. House of Representatives came back and approved a second try.

The measure was spearheaded by Southern Arizona’s two representatives, Gabrielle Giffords and Raul Grijalva, and had garnered support from a number of organizations including the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association working through Tucson’s Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance.

Vanessa Bechtol, executive director of the alliance, said the designation will allow the region to take part in the National Park Service’s marketing of the 50-plus heritage areas already designated by Congress and would help local organizations take advantage of the growing trend toward cultural and historical tourism.

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The designation would not affect private property rights or hinder the renovation of removal of private buildings.

The measure passed 281 to 142 on the second try. A vote earlier in September was 249 to 235, which wasn’t a two-thirds a majority causing it to be defeated. The measure now goes to the U.S. Senate.

The Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area would encompass about 3,325 square miles. Within its boundaries are cactus-covered slopes, open grasslands, rugged canyons, forested mountain ranges and rare desert streams, according to Giffords’ office. It also is home to Spanish missions, fortresses, ghost towns and old mines. Traces of human habitation in the valley stretch back more than 12,000 years.

National heritage areas differ from national parks because they do not impose federal zoning rules or regulations on land use.