America's Byways® Resource Center

The BIG Event Is
Just Days Away!

AuGust 2011

Roadside Reflections

National Scenic Byway Foundation News

Field Notes

Upcoming Training Opportunities

Watch For The Next Journal For America's Byways Coming Soon

Calendar

Roadside Reflections

by Michelle Johnson, Director, America's Byways Resource Center

The BIG Event Is Just Days Away!

We are looking forward to meeting you in beautiful Minneapolis at the end of this month for the 2011 National Scenic Byways Conference. We have an exciting schedule planned for you, including high-quality workshops, enlightening general sessions and opportunities to network and build relationships. There are specific sessions to hear experts discuss the future of the National Scenic Byways Program and opportunities to voice your opinions and ideas.

In preparation for your trip to Minnesota, please consider attending the National Scenic Byway Foundation's Milling Around in Minneapolis reception on Tuesday evening; details can be found at www.nsbfoundation.com. And don't forget to pack your baseball cap! We have an exciting luncheon featuring the Minnesota Twins and the team's marketing "comeback" story. If you don't have a favorite baseball team, bring materials (shirts, pins or even a sign!) that feature your byway's logo.

One last request before you pack your bags: Click here to go to the America's Byways Resource Center's Facebook page and "like" us. We will be using Facebook during the conference to share ideas, network and create a virtual community. For those of you unable to travel to the conference, please join us on Facebook.

See you in Minneapolis!

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National Scenic Byway Foundation News

As the National Scenic Byway Program prepares for potential changes, the National Scenic Byway Foundation is working closely with the American Recreation Coalition (ARC) to build a comprehensive list of byways, their stakeholders and interested individuals, as well as compile key information that will be used to support reauthorization of the full byways effort—designation, technical assistance and grants.

Contact the National Scenic Byway Foundation by clicking NSB Foundation Communications Opt-in to stay informed.

Additionally, the American Recreation Coalition has sent an information request to byways. If you did not receive one, you can obtain it here by clicking Future of America's Byways Project.

And don't forget to join the National Scenic Byway Foundation at the Mill City Museum for Milling Around—a very special evening August 23 during the 2011 National Scenic Byway Conference. Enjoy networking with your colleagues, learn more about the Foundation and bid on authentic items from byways around the country at the silent auction. The Foundation is looking forward to seeing you!

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Field Notes

From Indian Country: Planning With The Turtle Mountain Band Of Chippewa

By Cheryl Cloud, Tribal Liaison

In July, I joined representatives from other agencies and organizations in Belcourt, North Dakota to participate in planning with the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, as part of a 2010 Federal Highway Administration grant. We learned how rich and interwoven the history between the Tribe and French Canadians was and discovered a multitude of collaborative opportunities between the Tribe and State/local byways that we didn't realize existed.

Specifically, we participated in a reservation field tour that incorporated field condition assessment (including safety), potential tribal byway routes and stories, tribal history and historical places and cultural heritage tourism opportunities. We visited Ogimaa Giizhig (Sky Chief) Park, Chief Black Duck Village on Gordon and Wheaton Lakes to view the unique tipi camping experience available there. Click here to learn more. It's a true tribal cultural experience available to everyone.

The team also discussed grant implementation and identification of how each agency could best support, communicate and collaborate with the Tribe in the development of the Tribe's new byway program.

The team included representatives from tribal transportation, tourism and elected leadership; the Tribal Technical Assistance Program; the State's Department of Transportation, Parks and Recreation, Cultural Resources, and the State Scenic Byway Coordinator; and the Federal agencies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Highway Administration.

Please contact me at ccloudwestlund@byways.org or call (218) 625-3303 for more information about consultation and technical assistance/site visits with Indian Tribes in your local area.

Passionate Hawaiians On Fast Track With Byways

By Rob Balmes, Byways Specialist

The Hawaii Scenic Byways program has achieved some very exciting milestones over the past few years. In 2009, the Mamalahoa Kona Heritage Corridor became the state's first scenic byway. In 2010, the Royal Footsteps along the Kona Coast was designated as the state's second scenic byway. Four additional scenic byways were recently nominated in May and could become designated state scenic byways this fall:

• Kau Scenic Byway Slopes of Mauna Loa (Big Island)
• Ke Ala O Kohala; the Way of Kohala Scenic Byway (Big Island)
  
• Koloa Holo Holo Scenic Byway (Kauai)
  
• Waiane Moku Scenic Byway (Oahu)

In June, I assisted Dave Zevenbergen of the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) and his project team with conducting a series of educational scenic byway workshops. More than 100 passionate byway leaders, stakeholders, elected officials and HDOT personnel from the Big Island, Kauai and Oahu attended.

I provided the byway organizations with an in-depth overview of the national scenic byways program and emerging byway topics, such as Livability, Economic Impact and Wayshowing. The byways also received a detailed checklist for consideration as they plan their futures. The two existing byways engaged in corridor management sessions to help them develop and finalize their corridor management plans.

It was a wonderful experience working with Dave and his project team—Kash Reid, Bob Kull, Sean Dunckel and Jaime Farrar. I was amazed to see such a high level of interest and excitement at every workshop, giving me the lasting impression of the true meaning of Aloha and how important scenic byways are to the future of Hawaii.

Plan Now For Cultural Tourism And Demographic Shift

By Wayne Gannaway, Byways Specialist

In 20 years, people of color will be the majority population in the United States. As that demographic shift happens, it will have an increasingly dramatic impact on your audiences, particularly visitors and stakeholders. That was just one important message I took away from the First Annual Ethnic Cultural Tourism Destinations Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota, a one-day gathering of city officials and artists, activists and entrepreneurs convened by the CultureBrokers Foundation.

For America's Byways, the imperatives of being visitor ready and providing authentic, meaningful visitor experiences are familiar. But how many byways are ready for the changing complexion of America? Byway leaders who are prepared to responsibly reach out to all visitors and stakeholders and deliver an authentic visitor experience will be the successful byways of the future.

Speaker Romona Risco Benson, President and CEO of the African American Museum in Philadelphia, has worked for 25 years with convention and visitor's bureaus and destination marketing organizations in the heritage tourism field, including heritage districts, trails and corridors. She joined other speakers in emphasizing that the urban arts and culture districts are not competing with nearby cities or regions, but with the world. And they are not just competing for tourists, but for residents who will be the innovators, entrepreneurs and job-creators of tomorrow's economy.

More information about the conference can be found at www.culturebrokersfoundation.org.

From Indian Country: Historic Events At Indian Reservation Roads Program Meeting

By Cheryl Cloud, Tribal Liaison

As an attendee of the Indian Reservation Roads Program Coordinating Committee (IRRPCC) meeting on June 28 through July 1, I was privileged to experience the committee come to general consensus and resolution on some longstanding issues. Most notably these included criteria defining access roads and parameters of proposed roads.

The group realized the historic ramifications of coming to consensus on these major issues in St. Paul, as that was where they first formed as a committee at the onset of the program in 2005.

Additionally, the meeting marked the conclusion of committee terms for Bill Frasier and Sampson Begay, representatives from the Navajo Nation. Both have been instrumental in the evolution of the Indian Reservation Roads Program. The Navajo Nation will provide two new committee members to continue the good work of Bill and Sampson.

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Upcoming Training Opportunities

Hands-On Scenic Byways Mobile Workshop And Training Opportunity

Join us for a hands-on scenic byways mobile workshop and training event on August 30 and 31 at the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma. The event is open to anyone interested in establishing a scenic byways program. Registration is limited to 30 people.

Participants will tour the Chickasaw Scenic Byway area, then meet for training with the specific objectives of learning

• the basic National Scenic Byway Program criteria that aid in tribal byway program development, including grants and nominations and the options for program participation,
  
• readiness indicators and where your organization stands from the results of a self-assessment,
  
• the benefits and responsibilities of tribal participation in the National Scenic Byway Program and
  
• the different ways tribes are implementing their programs.

Cheryl Cloud, Tribal Liaison, and Duane Lula, Byways Specialist, both from America's Byways Resource Center, will be presenting the program along with Isaac Kinney, Yurok Tribe of California; Pam Ternes, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota; and Zac Hawkins, Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, who will provide tribal perspectives.

The cost for the workshop and training is $25. To register, go to http://ttap.okstate.edu and click on the "Training Schedule" on the left side of the page. Then, click on the date of the conference, August 30-31.

This event is brought to you by Oklahoma State University's Tribal Technical Assistance Program, America's Byways Resource Center and the Chickasaw Nation.

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Watch For The Next Journal For America's Byways Coming Soon

We hope you are enjoying your debut issue of the Journal for America's Byways. This must-have resource provides professional and scholarly information, insights and news about topics that impact the byway community. Please let us know your thoughts about our new publication. The second edition will be available in early September. If you're not on our subscription list, click here to receive your free copy. If you haven't received the first issue of the Journal for America's Byways, contact Gina Grensing, Communications Specialist.

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Calendar

Send calendar entries by the fifth of each month to center@byways.org.

* indicates Resource Center workshops

America's Byways Resource Center
394 Lake Avenue South, Suite 600
Duluth, MN 55802
1-866-974-6403
www.bywaysresourcecenter.org

America's Byways Resource Center is a division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission (ARDC) in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

This material is based upon work supported by the Federal Highway Administration and Arrowhead Regional Development Commission under cooperative agreement No. DTFH61-08-H-00007. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Federal Highway Administration and/or Arrowhead Regional Development Commission. The Arrowhead Regional Development Commission is an equal opportunity employer.