VISTAS January/February 2009 WHAT'S INSIDE: A Bright New Year............2 Coming & Going..............2 Our Native Pathways Meetings Series A Success...........3 Roadside Assistance..........................10 Keeping "Scenic" In Our Scenic Byway: The Frontier Pathways's Scenic Conservation Workshop......12 Calendar.................16 Published in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration by: America's Byways Resource Center 394 Lake Avenue South, Suite 600 Duluth, MN 55802 1-866-974-6403 www.bywaysresourcecenter.org America's Byvways 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 Comission 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 THREE CORE ELEMENTS OF BYWAY SUSTAINABILITY The National Scenic Byways Program is a dynamic, grassroots program, based upon the shared vision and efforts of partners to protect, preserve, promote and enhance the intrinsic qualities and resources of their special roads. But what is it that makes byways sustainable? What is necessary to support lasting efforts of a byway organization? Byway groups work hard to obtain designation at the State, Federal lands, Indian tribe, or national level, often to next come up against the big question: “Now What? How do we keep this going?” What supports the “sustainability” of byways? The sustainability of byways and byway organizations around the country is critical to long-term success. Think of a sustainable byway as a three-legged stool, with the legs representing planning, intrinsic qualities and visitor Experience. If any leg of the stool is weaker than the others, the stability of the stool is compromised. Similarly, a byway that is unbalanced in any of these three areas has weaknesses that affect the byway’s stability or health. The development of strong partnerships and successful planning efforts to support byways can be measured in direct correlation to a byway organization’s attention to these core elements that are essential to a byway’s sustainability. Core Elements and the Interim Policy Planning, intrinsic qualities and visitor experience are the core elements that make up the foundation of the National Scenic Byways Program. These three core elements are drawn from the Interim Policy for the Program, published in the Federal Register in 1995. The Interim Policy is the principal policy guiding the National Scenic Byways Program, and sets forth the criteria for the designation of roads as National Scenic Byways or All-American Roads based upon their scenic, historic, recreational, cultural, archaeological and/or natural intrinsic qualities, and establishes the 14 points necessary to address in a corridor management plan. The policy also emphasizes the necessity of byways to support a visitor’s experience in positive ways. Each of the three core elements is multi-faceted yet interdependent. Following is an overview of the essential aspects that each of the three core elements addresses. Planning Corridor Management A corridor management plan (CMP) is a written document that outlines how a byway organization plans to protect, promote, enhance and manage the intrinsic qualities of its byway. A byway’s CMP acts as the guiding document for all efforts of the byway group and as a key element in all planning. A corridor management plan is required if pursuing designation as a National Scenic Byway or All-American Road. Organization The National Scenic Byways Program is founded upon the grassroots strength of individual byway leaders and their groups. Organizing a byway and, further, sustaining a byway organization include important planning elements of: • envisioning an ordered whole • pulling people together • giving the organization structure and order • seeking united action Byways need to develop and maintain strong, resilient, long-lived organizations made up of people who are strong proponents for byways. Funding Building a strong financial foundation is an important goal for all byways, and an important aspect of planning for byway organizations. Fundraising success is directly linked to other success factors: a clear vision, a healthy organization, active partnerships and sound planning. Byway groups need to make and implement effective, long-term funding plans and promote those plans to potential funders. Intrinsic Qualities Inventory And Assessment Intrinsic qualities arise from a particular combination of resources along a byway that together define its character, interest and appeal. A byway organization must be able to identify, inventory and assess the intrinsic qualities that are representative of the route. A byway organization must prove the regional or national significance of the intrinsic qualities for designation as a National Scenic Byway or All-American Road. The Byway Story A byway story is the intentional, coordinated message that the byway conveys to visitors to help them make connections with the resources and qualities that the byway promotes. What byway story can be formed from your inventory of intrinsic qualities to frame what a visitor could experience along your route? A byway organization must consider how to best interpret the resources and provide visitors with opportunities to experience the special intrinsic qualities and resources that make the route unique. Protection And Promotion The National Scenic Byways Program is based upon a balanced approach of protection and promotion of the intrinsic qualities and resources of America’s most treasured roads. Byways deliver an experience of all the parts and stories in the corridor. Byway organizations need to learn to identify the core character of the byway, inventory its resources and communicate the importance of those resources to the individuals and groups that have an immediate and future impact on the byways’ character. Visitor Experience Wayshowing Wayfinding is what visitors do, and wayshowing is what your byway or byway organization needs to do. Can visitors effectively find their way along your byway? They will, if you first provide a well-planned guidance system based upon wayshowing principles to show the way. Byway organizations need to plan for how to safely and effectively guide the byway traveler to a positive experience with signage, maps and other means. Accessibility About one out of every five Americans has a functional impairment that limits daily life activities and two out of seven families are affected by disability. Compliance with Federal accessibility mandates is essential for byways that use National Scenic Byways Program grant funds, and applying universal design will increase accessibility for all people touring your route. Byway groups need to consider how travelers of many different abilities will experience the intrinsic qualities of the routes, and incorporate those considerations into the planning. Marketing Authentic experiences, event planning, marketing plans, collateral materials and itineraries all play distinctive and vital roles in providing access to your byway visitor experience. Successful marketing includes promoting your byway to target audiences. Byway organizations need to gain insight on this broad topic to effectively communicate specific messages to their current and potential visitors. Resource Center Specialists: Helping Byways Work Toward Sustainability The America’s Byways Resource Center works to provide designated byways with the training, education and resources that they need to succeed and build sustainable byways. One of the ways in which we do this is through providing one-on-one byway assistance. Byway Specialists from the Resource Center, currently a team of four knowledgeable staff members, provide tailored and responsive service to the nationally designated byways, State byway programs and tribes across the country. Over the past two years, Byway Specialists have actively increased their interaction with byway customers, State coordinators and partner groups. Byway Specialists realize they are most effective in solidifying and sustaining strong byway relationships when they frequently communicate and meet with clients. Byway Specialists can frequently be found on the road several times a month, making those personalized connections and providing customized service. Together, FHWA program staff and Resource Center Byway Specialists work to deliver consistent messages about the core elements of the Program as they communicate with and assist byways across the country. The services and training offered by the Resource Center support the three core elements of the National Scenic Byways Program, and Program staff at the Federal Highway Administration work to infuse the message of the three core elements into all of the materials they prepare. Sustainability of byways through committed public support is a an overarching Program element that encompasses all of these efforts. Take a look at a few ways Byway Specialists have delivered high-quality training to the byways community over the last several months, focusing on the message of the three core elements of byway sustainability. Core Element #1: Intrinsic Qualities The Interim Policy for the National Scenic Byways Program established six intrinsic qualities as the fundamental building blocks of a byway’s designation—archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic. Often, passionate byway advocates feel that their road displays many or all of these intrinsic qualities; however, the Program encourages byway providers to focus on only the one or two qualities that are most representative and regionally significant for their areas. With the limited time and resources most byways face in their day-to-day activities, planning efforts are best served when a focus is kept on those qualities and resources that are most distinctive for their road. Byway Specialist’s Service: Iowa’s Byways CMP Workshop In July 2008, Byways Specialists from the Resource Center provided a day of training on corridor management planning to the statewide Iowa’s Byways planning group. Iowa is addressing the sustainability of its byways by contracting with the Iowa Resource, Conservation, and Development (RC&D) offices, which are affiliated with the USDA. Using State funds so that each volunteer byway group has a minimum level of staff support, the RC&Ds help to provide insight on networking opportunities with partners in their respective regions. They also provide planning support and advice on grant opportunities available that would reinforce the mission of the each byway group. Participants who attended the workshop were planners from each of the RC&Ds whose service area included a designated Iowa byway. Byway Specialists Kathie Knapp and Bonnie Hundrieser developed a six-hour training course that engaged the RC&D byway leaders and helped them to build an understanding of the essential Program core elements. A special focus of the day was on understanding a byway’s intrinsic qualities. They began by asking the group of new byway participants to carefully read and understand definitions of the intrinsic qualities as stated in the Interim Policy. Using small group discussions, participants were then asked to evaluate a series of photos representative of byways across the country and label each as representing one of the six intrinsic qualities. Participants found value in this exercise by learning how important it is to carefully read the Policy definitions and to understand them before beginning an assessment of the existing sites along a road that represent the selected intrinsic quality of their byway. Participants also came to appreciate the importance of evaluating the qualities evident from the byway roadway and not a larger corridor. Additional emphasis throughout the day was not only on the “nuts and bolts” of what a CMP should include as specified by the Interim Policy, but also considerations of assuring a positive visitor experience. The Resource Center is continuing to work with the Iowa’s Byways program for future trainings. Core Element #2: Planning The Interim Policy for the National Scenic Byways Program establishes planning as a key component in the development of sustainable byways. This is emphasized in the requirement of a corridor management plan for national designation, and also in the planning considerations related to developing strong community support, obtaining funding and supporting the visitor’s experience (i.e., byway signage). Byway Specialists continue to reinforce the message that a byway’s planning documents should each be unique and developed to meet the needs of an individual byway. Planning documents such as CMPs should be crafted to fit the needs and issues and resources or partnerships that exist at a local level. It is important to remember that no one is going to judge the quality of a byway’s plan, so long as it meets local needs. As outlined in the Interim Policy for the National Scenic Byways Program, designation as a National Scenic Byway requires that corridor management plans include information on 14 points outlined in the Interim Policy, with an additional three points for designation as an All-American Road. Byways Specialist Curt Pianalto has recently engaged two byways with an exercise and subsequent tool that highlights and enables the possibilities of continued strategic planning efforts, specifically in working to engage all potential partners and stakeholders in a byway’s region. As part of larger strategic planning efforts in each case, Curt led the Copper Country National Scenic Byway and the Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway through a brainstorming activity in which the groups created a long list of existing, potential and, in some cases, unlikely partners and stakeholders. The brainstormed lists were then clustered into like groups. The creation of a clustered list is just the beginning. By entering these lists into the organization matrix tool, an organization can look at each of these stakeholders and identify how and if they could be engaged with the organization. The Copper Country Trail NSB created lists totaling over 100 potential stakeholders and partners. But all of these potential stakeholders and partners couldn’t possibly be part of the formal organization, of course. This where the matrix tool comes in handy, helping the organization strategically through all of the stakeholders to quickly assess: • Whether that stakeholder is currently engaged with the organization • Whether that stakeholder has values and a vision that mesh with the organization’s • Whether that stakeholder can mutual benefit to the organization • How this stakeholder could or should be involved with the organization, using a spectrum spanning from communication-only to full-blown leadership of the organization at the other end This can be a very useful tool for any organization regardless of its status. In the case of Copper Country, the group members are reflecting upon their current structure, and using the tool to possibly reorganize. Now, this is not a one-time exercise. This planning tool creates a long-term and ongoing commitment and effort to engage stakeholders. Core Element #3: Visitor Experience The Interim Policy for the National Scenic Byways Program establishes a focus on the visitor experience, as illustrated by an emphasis on good wayfinding signage, attention to visitor accessibility and strategic marketing that helps visitors know what to plan for and expect. Byways are designated not only to help protect the special character and resources of a particular area, but also to promote and share those resources with others who may come to visit. As part of Byway Specialists’ toolbox of teaching tools, group participation techniques help byway providers understand visitors’ needs. Byways Specialists are impartial observers; they often recognize that individuals working on byways are so familiar with them that it is difficult to look at the byway from the point of view of a new traveler, one who is unfamiliar with the byway story, the road or the resources that are available along the road. Byways Specialists assume a principle responsibility to use techniques that help the volunteers and leaders of byways look at their routes with new eyes. Often, asking training session participants to look at their own experiences as travelers on an unfamiliar road is a useful way of helping folks see traveler needs. It is also useful to examine the policy statements about planning by asking what is missing to fully engage the traveler. Leaders of the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway in Utah recognized their byway needed a new plan for how visitors found their way along the byway. Leaders wanted to conduct a holistic planning activity along both the Utah and Wyoming portions of the byway. They sought information from the Resource Center about the concepts behind Effective Wayshowing, a topic Byways Specialists advocate to byways. Dennis Adams met with 15 or so of the byway leaders in September to review the concepts and help them organize a planning project. The first important step in planning for the needs of a visitor is to know what a visitor needs to have a successful byway experience. Think of the layperson’s summary of these elements, as shown in the following example. Successful byway travel translates to: 1. I know exactly where to start and where I’m going to end, 2. I never make a wrong turn, 3. I never go too short or too far and I always go the right way, 4. I always know what I’m looking at and 5. I understand where I am in the big picture. A useful tool to get byway leaders thinking like a traveler is to do a small group exercise. Byways Specialists ask small groups to recall a trip experience not on their byway. What was the experience like? The groups are asked to list experiences that contributed to a good trip and equally important, the experiences that created bad trip memories. The results from Flaming Gorge are below. Once this group of byway leaders understood the needs of visitors, they could begin charting the elements of their plan and complete the process in the coming months. [TABLE: "Think Like a Traveler" ("Good Trip" qualities in left column, "Bad Trip" qualities in right column)] GOOD TRIP Viewing wildlife Wide variety of available activities Accessibility BAD TRIP Rough road Congestion - traffic and/or not safe Bad directions and travel information GOOD TRIP Safe experience Information: weather, facilities, costs, directions Visitor use limited (not over-run) BAD TRIP Lost Car problems Bad company GOOD TRIP Fun in car Good food Opportunities unexpected BAD TRIP Lack of visitor use limits Unsafe conditions Too expensive - tourist trap GOOD TRIP Learn something Natural wonders Relaxing experience Adventure fun Seeing rare wildlife BAD TRIP Structures in disrepair Easy to get lost Bad customer service Not authentic GOOD TRIP Scenic view Informative signage Clean, well-maintained facilities BAD TRIP Stressful Not meet expectations Not enough information Poor customer service GOOD TRIP Resource - scenery, wildlife, people Quality activities - recreational opportunities, not crowded Lodging - amenities, food BAD TRIP Poor road conditions Poorly maintained toilets GOOD TRIP Water/ponds Scenic beauty (eye of the beholder) Good road BAD TRIP Getting lost Poor facilities and/or customer service Not up to expectations - too built up, promoted better than it is, poor fishing GOOD TRIP Learn something new (education) Convenient and easy to identify resources Easy to pre-plan information Companion (who you are traveling with) BAD TRIP Getting lost High expectation, low reality Other byway groups can contact Curt Pianalto at cpianalto@byways.org or Dennis Adams at dadams@byways.org for a copy of “Wayshowing for Byways: A Guidance System” which is available as a PDF document. It explains in detail the concepts and tools that are available to help byways or States address the needs of byway visitors in a holistic manner. Working Together To Build Better Byways Working toward the sustainability of your byway requires a balanced approach of addressing the three core elements. Your byway was designated because of its special intrinsic qualities, the promise of a memorable and unique visitor experience, and well-thought planning to protect and promote your slice of America’s special roads. The America’s Byways Resource Center and the National Scenic Byways Program staff at the Federal Highway Administration are here to support you in your quest to build the most sustainable byway you can. Visit our websites for information on grants, nominations, education and training, or for information on how to contact your Byway Specialist: www.bywaysonline.org and www.bywaysresourcecenter.org. PHOTO: Twelve workshop participants pictured. CAPTION: The Trail of the Ancients meeting in Cortez, CO hosted TOTA representatives from the Navajo Nation, Utah and New Mexico. PHOTO: Two participants working together and writing ideas on Post-It notes. CAPTION: Trail of the Ancients workshop participants Verginia Yazzie from the Navajo Nation and Jim Dietrich from Colorado brainstorm together on byway sustainability. PHOTO: Participants seated around a table and speaker presenting with slides. CAPTION: Byway Specialist Bonnie Hundrieser facilitating a workshop on Byway Sustainability with the Colorado – Trail of the Ancients byway organization. PHOTO: Participant reading notes posted on a wall. CAPTION: Colorado TOTA Byway Leader Susan Thomas considers possible future action items for her byway. A Bright New Year A Message from Gary Jensen, National Scenic Byways Program Team Leader "Here's to the bright New Year, and a fond farewell to the old; here's to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold." -- Anonymous It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone already. Fortunately, I have a lot of fond memories of the past year, and have had some new and exciting experiences on America’s Byways®. Whether it was gold mines and breathtaking mountains along the Gold Belt Tour and Frontier Pathways in Colorado, a historic theater along Historic Route 66 in Albuquerque, or the history and majesty of the Mississippi River along the Great River Road in Iowa and Illinois, my journey with the National Scenic Byways Program has been interesting, enlightening and fulfilling. The past year allowed us to review unique and innovative grant proposals that advance the preservation, protection and promotion of some real American treasures. From protecting the critical habitat of endangered species to enhancing cultural learning opportunities along a corridor Native People have navigated for centuries, 2008 grant applications demonstrated the strong commitment, imagination and organization of the byway community. We are looking forward to a bright New Year and we have a lot of great opportunities to come, including: • The designation of another round of All-American Roads and National Scenic Byways. We look forward to recognizing the stories and significant intrinsic qualities of byways that will enhance the America’s Byways collection. • The development of new tools by the America’s Byways Resource Center that will assist the byway community in areas such as analyzing economic impacts, wayshowing and public awareness. • Another year of increased grant funding for fiscal year 2009, up to $43.5 million. And, of course, I am extremely excited about the 2009 National Scenic Byways Conference in Denver. The backdrop of the Colorado Front Range and the hard work of our hosts and the America’s Byways Resource Center should really allow us to elevate our expertise. I look forward to the opportunity to finally meet many of you face to face. The National Scenic Byways Program team will continue to work hard to support the communities that make the Program so successful. Although the challenges of the reauthorization of the Program lie ahead, I am confident that the passion and commitment of the byway community will continue, and that there really are great things to come for America’s Byways. PHOTO: A winding road pictured in the distance. Our Native Pathways Meetings Series A Success During 2008, the America’s Byways Resource Center partnered with the Bureau of Indian Affairs Reservation Roads program to provide Indian tribe governments with an overview of the economic and other opportunities available under the National Scenic Byways Program. The Resource Center coordinated with numerous organizations to develop a three-meeting series for Indian tribes titled Our Native Pathways: Byway Opportunities for Indian Tribes. The meetings were held in Portland, Oregon; Nashville Tennessee; and San Diego, California. Our partners in developing and hosting the meetings included the Bureau of Indian Affairs, United South and Eastern Tribes, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, National Indian Justice Center-Tribal Technical Assistance program, Eastern Washington University’s Northwest Tribal Technical Assistance Program, and Michigan Technological University’s Tribal Technical Assistance Program. The Resource Center also coordinated with numerous State scenic byway programs, Federal byway program staff and the America’s Byways Resource Center’s Advisory Committee. Each of the Our Native Pathways meetings provided Indian tribes with a general overview of the National Scenic Byways Program. Cindi Ptak, National Scenic Byways Program Manager with the Federal Highway Administration, provided participants with details of the National Scenic Byways Program, including the nomination and designation process as well as grant opportunities available to Indian tribes. Mark Conley and Floyd Thompson (USDA Forest Service), along with Ed Hall (Bureau of Indian Affairs), discussed the various Federal tribal byway partnership opportunities for Indian tribes on Indian reservations and Federal lands. The Resource Center’s Byways Specialists Kathie Knapp, Bonnie Hundrieser, Dennis Adams and Curt Pianalto provided an overview of the Resource Center’s many technical and training resources available to Indian tribes. Two tribal representatives, Pamela Ternes, Director of the Standing Rock Native American Scenic Byway and Standing Rock Transit Program-Sitting Bull College, and Verginia Yazzie, Coordinator of the Navajo Nation Scenic Byway Program, discussed their byway experiences with their respective Indian tribes. The meetings concluded with an interactive discussion with Dr. Father Michael Oleksa, a renowned expert on cross cultural communication, focusing on the intricacies Indian tribes face when trying to communicate with others outside one’s culture. The Our Native Pathways project was a successful first step in outreach and networking with Indian tribes. Approximately 30 Indian tribes were represented at the three meetings, such as: • Big Pine Paiute Tribe of Owens Valley • Bishop Paiute Tribe • Central Council of Haida & Tlingit Indians • Cherokee La Jolla Indian Tribe • Colorado River Tribes • Confederated Bands of the Yakama Nation • Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde • Coquille Tribe • Creek Nation • Dry Creek Rancheria • Eastern Band of Cherokee • Ely Shohsone • Karuk Tribe • Lone Pine Paiute/Shoshone Reservation • Makah Indian Nation • Metlakatla Indian Community • Mewapa Tribe • Mohawk Nation • Navajo Nation • Nez Perce Tribe • Pechanga Tribe • Pit River Indian Tribe • Poarch Creek Indians • Pueblo of Pojoaque • Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe • Redwood Valley Rancheria • Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community • Seminole Tribe of Florida • Skokomish Indian Tribe • Squaxin Island Indian Tribe • Tule River Tribe • Wyandotte Nation • Yurok Tribe The Resource Center will continue its partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and others to assist Indian tribes in accessing information about scenic byways. As part of the Resource Center’s 2009 activities, we are working with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to host a number of additional Our Native Pathways meetings for Indian tribes in Oklahoma, the Northern Plains and Alaska. Finally, as Indian tribes begin to develop scenic byway programs and participate in the planning for scenic byways near their reservations, the Resource Center will work toward providing the technical support and training necessary to enhance their efforts. PHOTO:Photo of Navajo Route 64 PHOTO: Photo of Naat’sis’aan Scenic Road, Navajo Nation, in Page, Arizona ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE Strategic Planning: Fear Not, Help Is Here! By Kathie Knapp, Byways Specialist Does the term “strategic planning” strike fear into your heart? Do you imagine being trapped for days in a conference room while your brain is drained dry? What exactly does America’s Byways Resource Center mean by “strategic planning”? Here are some answers and helpful resources for your byway organization. The basis of strategic planning is your byway’s vision. A byway vision is extremely powerful and motivating. But no matter how carefully crafted, its worth is questionable if it’s just sitting in the corridor management plan (CMP). When byways lose touch with their visions, they tend to stall or drift aimlessly. That’s where strategic planning comes in. It empowers byway leaders and members to evaluate the following questions: • What do we want to see in place in three to five years as a result of our actions? • What is blocking us from moving toward our vision? • What innovative, substantial actions will deal with the underlying contradictions and move us toward our vision? • What will our specific, measurable accomplishments be for the first year and beyond? The questions above address the heart of strategic planning. Strategic planning is: 1. Comprehensive—it focuses on current reality. 2. Intentional—it is derived from Byway members’ choices. 3. Future-oriented—it asks for relevant timelines and milestones. 4. Inclusive—it asks for input from everyone; all stakeholders are included. 5. Responsive to environmental forces—it considers internal or external factors that may be driving or influencing the organization. Strategic planning occurs effectively in a workshop environment, which involves byway leaders, stakeholders and group members in brainstorming to generate data, clustering the data to look at the new relationships that are formed and naming what will be accomplished and when, discerning the consensus of the group. Preparation for the workshop includes gathering input from byway leaders and the coordinator to define a set of Pre-Questions. These Pre-Questions are then sent to all possible participants to determine the group’s hopes, needs and wants and relevant background information. The workshop begins with everyone sharing their answers to the Pre-Questions and determining the day’s desired goals. Throughout the workshop, active participation is necessary from everyone. How do you gather all of this information? Ideas and input are generated using the entire group and small groups. Here’s a quick overview of the process used in Sections 1-3 (below). • Context or overview. Discuss where the Practical Vision / Underlying Contradictions / Strategic Directions fit into the complete Plan. • Brainstorm. The group members generate ideas, as concisely as possible, of what they want to see in the future. All ideas are acceptable, ranging from conservative to innovative, and placed on cards. For example, if someone writes “better communication,” a clearer idea may be “develop a group e-mail system.” It is important that the time frame be far enough into the future for people to imagine that something really can change. • Cluster. The idea cards from the brainstorming are clustered together to show similar actions, which helps to illuminate an idea. For example, “training” may be used in three or four ideas, yet the intent of each may be different. When combined with other cards, three or four new categories may result. • Name. The group decides what the cluster of ideas indicates as a focus or accomplishment. • Result. Describe a plan of action for a promising future that group members have created together. SECTION 1. PRACTICAL VISION “What do we want to see in place in three to five years as a result of our actions?” Pieces of the Practical Vision already exist with each group member and these pieces motivate and inform their actions. This workshop gives everyone the opportunity to share their hopes, dreams and aspirations for the future of the organization and the byway. Everyone has a piece of the puzzle—the vision. When all of the pieces are fitted together, they build a concrete picture to guide the group into the future. SECTION 2. UNDERLYING CONTRADICTIONS “What is blocking us from moving toward our vision?” Contradictions are blocks and barriers that prevent a group from realizing its vision. They are like boulders in the path to the future. They can be found in historic and societal trends, in images and attitudes and in the structures and patterns people create and from which they operate. Contradictions are unquestioned assumptions, mindsets, beliefs and practices that oppose the vision. They are not problems; problems can be fixed. Contradictions are existing realities and may be either internal or external factors that block the way forward. SECTION 3. STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS “What innovative, substantial actions will deal with the underlying contradictions and move us toward our vision?” Successful organizations are driven by their vision. In pursuit of this vision, byway groups focus on scenarios that will break through roadblocks and at the same time, create new courses of action and new directions. Strategic directions are broad directions that impact the future by: • Using existing strengths and opportunities within an organization • Overcoming perceptions, beliefs, assumptions and habits, as well as outmoded patterns, structures and policies, that slow or stop the process Developing strategic directions is about discovery. The group starts where it is and moves through a process of revelation, seeking and discovering patterns of action that fit together in new ways. SECTION 4. IMPLEMENTATION “What will our specific, measurable accomplishments be for the first year?” Effective implementation of this plan depends on timelines, priorities and task assignments. The actions developed in the previous section will be placed on a timeline and prioritized by the group. Can they be implemented within this time period? Who will be responsible for the implementation? Are the accomplishments measurable? Completion of this section is meant to instill ownership, commitment and accountability within the members of the byway group. Now What? Your Byways Specialists Can Help Your group has a practical vision, you’ve addressed many of the roadblocks preventing you from reaching that vision, you’ve developed strategic directions to move the byway forward and you even have priorities and a timeline. If your byway group recoils in horror at the term “strategic planning”, what type of workshop will encourage full participation? Try calling it something different. How about Action Planning, Byway Sustainability Directions, Future Planning, or, for the Zen group, Future Visioning? Whatever you decide to call it, your America’s Byways Resource Center Byway Specialists can facilitate a workshop tailored to the needs of your byway group. Just give us a call. And, perhaps most importantly, we won’t desert you after the initial workshop. We’re prepared to present follow-up implementation. No need to reinvent the wheel for new members or to bring everyone up to speed. We use the information developed at the original workshop to help you sustain momentum, create alternative scenarios for dealing with unknowns, develop new short-range actions plans in response to being stuck and/or help the group change or drop parts of the plan that are no longer appropriate. Of course, we’ll be there to help your group celebrate your victories, too. Developing a future-oriented strategic plan could determine how or whether a byway succeeds. It promotes the sustainability of the byway and the organization. It directs the countless things that can be done into innovative yet practical courses of action or programs that serve as a framework to help a byway group steer its efforts toward the vision. The above procedure was based on a workshop developed by ICA Technology of Participation “Participatory Strategic Planning, Focusing Collective Power for Change.” Copyright The Institute of Cultural Affairs, 1991-2005. For more information, please contact ICA at www.ica-usa.org or call Marilyn Oyler at 602-468-0605. Used with permission. PHOTOS: Three workshop participants work together and record brainstorming ideas on Post-It notes. CAPTION: Payette River Scenic Byway members participate in a strategic planning workshop. PHOTO: Presenter stands at front of group and points to wall with Post-It notes. CAPTION: Byway Specialist Kathie Knapp facilitates a strategic planning workshop for Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway. IMAGE: Road sign Roadside Assistance is a regular column designed to provide working tools that byway groups can use to solve real problems and be more effective. Send topic ideas to center@byways.org. BOX: Our Byway Specialists are here to assist you. Find the Resource Center contact for your State on the Resource Center website at www.bywaysresourcenter.org/about/people/States. Call us toll-free at 866-974-6403, or contact your Byways Specialist directly. Dennis Adams dadams@byways.org Kathie Knapp kknapp@byways.org Curt Pianalto cpianalto@byways.org Keeping “Scenic” in our Scenic Byway: The Frontier Pathways - Scenic Conservation Workshop Editor’s Note: America’s Byways Resource Center is funding a series of six Scenic Conservation Workshops for byways, delivered by Scenic America. The Resource Center awarded the workshops to byways through a nomination and interview process. The workshop for Frontier Pathways National Scenic Byway was held on September 29-30, 2008 in Pueblo, Colorado. Two prior workshops, one for the Mohawk Towpath National Scenic Byway in New York and another for the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway in New Mexico, were held in 2007. Sidebar Textbox: What is Scenic Conservation? Scenic conservation is… … a process for preserving or enhancing the visual quality of a particular place, be it a community, roadway, corridor or landscape. …a process for addressing the planning, design and management of those elements in the built and natural environment that have an influence on the visual character or aesthetic appeal of a place. In the case of a scenic byway, it encompasses attention to the roadway itself as well as those visible portions of the viewshed corridor. …the development of strategies to help preserve the context of the intrinsic qualities and resources along the byway, such as scenery, historic resources and community character. Byways strive for a balance of preservation and promotion: they work to protect the special resources and scenic vistas unique to the byway, while they work to promote positive economic impact through tourism. As part of the National Scenic Byways Program, each nationally designated byway must define its goals and strategies to protect, preserve, promote and enhance the byway through a corridor management plan. Across the nation, increasing development pressure is prompting many byways to ask, “How do we protect the visual integrity of our road corridor? How do we keep the ‘scenic’ in our scenic byway? How can we use our corridor management plan to address these concerns?” The Frontier Pathways Scenic Conservation Workshop considered these questions and more. This article provides an overview of the four primary steps of scenic conservation planning, highlighting the Frontier Pathways workshop learning experience as shared by Bill Zwick, a Frontier Pathways Board Member and local lead organizer for the workshop. “Welcome to the Frontier!” The Frontier Pathways National Scenic and Historic Byway enjoys diverse cultures, ecosystems, scenic and natural resources and economic development opportunities along its route. It was established as a Colorado State Byway in 1994 and designated as a National Scenic Byway in 1998. Located in south central Colorado just off Interstate 25, the byway follows a 103-mile route in two segments like a sideways Y. One arm includes the 51-mile segment of Colorado State Highway 96 between the City of Pueblo and Westcliffe and its companion town, historic Silver Cliff. The other arm follows a 52-mile segment between Colorado City and its junction with SH 96. The Scenic Conservation Workshop provided valuable training to assist the Frontier Pathways Byway in pursuing its corridor management plan’s purpose and vision related to fostering economic and community development, while addressing and protecting scenic, historic, recreational and natural resources that attract visitors to the area. The workshop was also a valuable way of reinforcing partnerships, building board membership and re-establishing a common interest in the corridor’s resource enhancement and protection. The workshop training focused on the State Highway 96 segment stretching west from historic Pueblo’s urban core to the rural ranching towns of Westcliffe and Silver Cliff. This segment offered opportunities to consider urban redevelopment and gateway enhancement issues in Pueblo and rural town issues in Westcliffe. Protecting and enhancing the byway’s grand vista of the Wet Mountain Valley and the 14,000-foot peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range also ranked as important issues for the workshop. In addition, the land between Pueblo and Westcliffe presented many other scenic conservation issues related to open space/open lands, ranchlands, and forest management, as well as concerns about increasing the quality of the visitor experience. Step One: Engage Partners This step of scenic conservation planning addresses the questions, “Who has shared concerns or interests in the visual integrity of our byway? How can we work together to identify areas of agreement and disagreement, and opportunities to work together?” Engaging partners is continual throughout the scenic conservation process. The Frontier Pathways Byway’s scenic beauty and varied resources have helped to establish a base of key public and private agencies, entities, citizens and property owners as stakeholders in the byway corridor. The byway is truly an instrument to pull these diverse groups together for consensus on critical issues. QUOTE: “As someone who has dealt with tourism for 30 years off and on, it was great to see city and county planners, highway department, landscapers, Chamber of Commerce and land trust folks all in the same room to hear about the area from their perspective.” -- Paulette Stuart, Destination Colorado Association Chairman and Scenic Conservation Workshop participant ARTICLE CONTINUES Bill Zwick introduced the partners invited to the two-day Scenic Conservation Training Workshop, and explained a bit about their shared interest in the in the byways: • Colorado State Byways Coordinator Sally Pearce worked closely with the byway organization in the pre-planning workshop meetings and also during the formal two-day training workshop. • The City of Pueblo and County of Pueblo planning and GIS staffs gave valued assistance by providing the inventory data collection and viewshed mapping for the 52-mile segment. The staff planners brought a professional planning perspective to the project. • The San Isabel Land Protection Trust and the Palmer Land Trust have direct interest in the byway. The folks from the land protection trusts added a real-life understanding of the successes and disappointments that can occur in the effort of protecting the land and critical viewsheds through conservation easements and/or acquisition. • Scenic Colorado, a State partner organization, contributed information about how to protect visual qualities, primarily through monitoring and controlling billboard blight on the byway. • USDA National Forest Service participants provided recreational and archaeological expertise in providing landscape architecture practices for development of interpretive pullouts and preservation of historical campground sites. • Lake Pueblo State Park has the largest attendance of any Colorado State Park and is willing to participate in the critical issues of visitor experience and conservation of State Park lands. The State Park plans to develop a future expansion master plan. • Destination Pueblo is a consortium of various tourism groups in the Pueblo area and is a valuable partner in reinforcing the byway’s tourism component. • A byway board member and Colorado City Architectural Review Commission member represented Colorado City, expressing particular interest in development guidelines that may be established through future conservation planning studies. Although Colorado City anchors the other segment of the byway, which was not selected for the workshop, the city participated and gained insights on how to continue scenic conservation planning in its segment. • The Westcliffe and Silver Cliff town representatives of the chamber of commerce and All Aboard Westcliffe were present to discuss concerns especially related to preserving the grand vista of ranching in the Wet Mountain Valley and the Sangre De Cristo Mountain Range and enhancing their town’s main streets and gateways. Step Two: Inventory and Map the Byway’s Visual Quality This step of scenic conservation planning helps byway groups and stakeholders to see their byway through a fresh set of eyes, assessing “the good, the bad, and the ugly,” documenting what things add to or detract from the visual quality of the byway. As part of the workshop, participants took a half-day bus trip of the byway to practice observing the byway’s visual quality using observation sheets and discussing issues of concern. The field trip session helped the participants concentrate on the visual character of the byway’s selected segment with a “new set of eyes.” Eight stops along the way, determined in advance during the workshop’s planning phase, presented locations where the potential scenic issues and character were likely to be a concern for future protection. These stops included: 1) Downtown Pueblo Urban Core corridor 2) Thatcher Avenue (characterized as a “hodge podge of different land use” on the fringe of the City and County) 3) Historic Goodnight Barn 4) Lake Pueblo State Park 5) Open lands west of Lake Pueblo 6) Hardscabble Canyon Wildlife pullout 7) McKenzie Junction (junction with SH165 segment of the Byway) 8) Bear Basin Ranch conservation easement and Sangre de Cristo Viewpoint Participants received a map and visual quality observation sheets to document how the byway character changes along the route and the “likes and dislikes” at each stop. Specifically, the visual quality observation sheets asked what elements contributed to the byway’s character; elements that distracted from the byway’s character; and any opportunities for enhancement, restoration or mitigation. Step Three: Identify and Prioritize Scenic Issues This step of scenic conservation planning helps a byway group and stakeholders to identify areas of concern and to develop agreement on areas that may need action to remedy the problem facing the visual character of the byway. Using GIS basemaps on Day 2 of the scenic conservation workshop, participants broke into three groups and were asked to identify the visual character of the landscape, as well as values and issues observed from the bus tour on the previous day. Some of the landscape character descriptions that were generated included: • undeveloped • western landscape with opportunities to retain character • diverse ecosystems • very diverse urban to very rural to natural landscapes • wildlife and working ranches In the “Issues” section of this activity, participants concentrated on elements they thought contributed to or detracted from the byway’s character, and any opportunities for enhancement, restoration or mitigation they thought could be applied. Some features and areas that participants felt contributed most to the byway’s character included: • historic district • urban tree canopy • art district • proximity to attractions • diverse people • stunning mountain views • high level of integrity • transition from prairies to mountains • big sky views • recreation • an Old West “feel” Some elements that participants felt detracted from the byway’s character included: • urban blight • lack of continuity in visual character • overgrazing of open range lands • cell towers • fences • junk areas • the sand and gravel operation Participants cited opportunities that they felt existed for enhancement, restoration or mitigation, such as: • protect 30,000 acres of open land that could be developed into another community like Pueblo West • develop guidelines for the byway through the urban areas of Pueblo • restore Goodnight Barn and river bottom area of the State Park • protect the Wet Mountain Valley • restore old buildings and landscape in rural areas In another part of the exercise, the group was asked to write a future newspaper or magazine headline that would reflect a significant visual character improvement. Some of the headlines: Visual Clutter Removed from the Byway; City of Pueblo and Frontier Pathway Awarded Streetscape of the Year for 4th Street Corridor; Congratulations to Frontier Pathways for Completing Its Last Conservation Easement Totaling $100 Million; and, Digital Billboards Outlawed in Pueblo County. Step Four: Develop Scenic Conservation Strategies This step of scenic conservation planning helps a byway group and stakeholders to begin to develop strategies that best address issues, planning for “next steps” and opportunities to implement them. The last session of Day 2 of the Scenic Conservation Workshop focused on Action Planning. Participants selected up to all eight scenic issue categories identified in the Conserving Our Treasured Places guide or specific issue(s) areas along the byway for in-depth study. Out of the three work groups that day, Group Two’s presentation was selected for this article to share an example of the work performed. Group Two chose to focus on two areas of the byway segment: the urban gateway out of downtown Pueblo referred to as Central Pueblo and the Wet Mountain Valley and Wetmore area. The issues brought up included signage, utilities and cell towers, the design of the built environment, and vegetation. The group members suggested various strategies for addressing both geographic areas of focus, such as incentives, regulations, management objectives and voluntary measures. Specific recommended actions included: • Develop design guidelines for urban and rural development • Develop sign ordinances in urban and rural area that address height, size, number, style and location • Design roadway for pedestrian and bicycles and evaluate vehicle traffic patterns for alternatives • Maintain the 80-acre minimum lot size and encourage ranching and agricultural use • Discourage dense residential development on the Wet Mountain Valley floor • Use GIS techniques to help with cellular tower placement as well as opportunities to minimize visual impacts through stealth technology and co-location The partners identified collaborative planning and funding for these actions and plans to address these issues by including them in the corridor management plan, city and county ordinances, and the urban renewal plan. Clear And Understandable Scenic Conservation Strategies According to Bill Zwick, the Frontier Pathway was very fortunate to have this opportunity to have Bonnie Hundrieser from the America’s Byways Resource Center and Brad Cownover from Scenic America to assist and facilitate the Frontier Pathways Scenic Conservation Workshop. The training for scenic conservation planning was clear and understandable. The byway will be developing new and continuing relationships with the participants involved with this workshop. The board of directors’ priority goal for the byway is to update the corridor management plan and initiate scenic conservation planning for the entire byway. America’s Byways Resource Center and Scenic America will continue to provide insights to the Scenic Conservation Workshop process. For more information, visit bywaysresourcecenter.org. SIDEBAR: Hear About The Workshop Firsthand To better communicate the workshop’s impact, here are some comments collected from participants: Christopher G. Markuson, GIS Manager, County of Pueblo: “I learned a mountain of invaluable information from the workshop. Brad and Bonnie were fantastic, and they brought a tremendous amount of insight to our Byway. We now have a great relationship with area land trusts, and have a common understanding or priority areas that we should work together to address. Without this workshop, we would still be operating blindly, unaware of each other’s priorities. Furthermore, our group has a different perspective about our Byway, and now [has] distinct regions where we will work with our local government agencies, non-profit and other resources to address scenic improvement and scenic conservation issues. A heartfelt thank you to both Scenic America and America’s Byways Resource Center!” Tim Williams, Senior Planner – City of Pueblo: “Before attending this workshop, I didn’t have a sense of how a scenic byway could be incorporated into an aging, urban environment like Pueblo’s downtown. Taking the bus tour was extremely helpful. It included local experts who articulated the vibrant history of the byway and the Scenic America staff who engaged us to consider the corridor from a new perspective. The Frontier Pathways Scenic Byway is a spectacular local treasure. Our trip took us through five major eco-regions, including nearly every classic Western vista from wide-open prairies, to ranching and agricultural valleys, slot canyons, high mountain passes and rugged, rural ranching towns that are deeply connected to their rich cultural past. We returned from this trip passionate about our experience and filled with creative ideas of how we might protect and improve the visual quality of our scenic byway. The workshop was also a great opportunity to network with potential partners and improve our future successes in the reverent preservation of and conscious improvements to this invaluable, shared resource.” Pam Coons, Director of Custer County Merchants and Chamber of Commerce: “I thought it was an exciting opportunity to collaborate with a knowledgeable group of people to determine a way to improve the byway and, in particular, to clean up and enhance the gateway into Silver Cliff/Westcliffe.” Ken Clark, Pueblo County Historical Society: “I gained a lot from the two-day session. The introduction before going on the trip was very informative. [Hearing] the comments on the trip by various members was really an asset. The comments about the dam and future plans were enlightening. My favorite moment was seeing the view at the end of Hwy. 96, the Wet Mountain Valley and mountain range, beautiful... the entire program was well planned and very well presented. Thank you for the invitation.” Josh Tenneson, Palmer Land Trust: “Thanks again for incorporating Palmer Land Trust into the Scenic Conservation Workshop. I learned a great deal from the experience and look forward to working with you in the future. My favorite aspect of the workshop was simply teaching myself, with the help of Brad and other participants, how to view the byway in a different capacity than I had before. With my new set of lenses I learned how to visualize physical spaces with less clutter—especially in urban areas. It was insightful to see how the byway can make a constructive difference within urban zones by coming up with potential ways to reduce such visual clutter. For example, I never thought about how much of a difference it makes to the eye to place utility lines beneath the ground.” Paulette Stuart, Destination Pueblo Association Chairman: “Instead of hearing about tearing down all billboards we talked of better interpretive signage and pullouts for photo opportunities. The two days were a great start and now we need to get things moving in Pueblo to highlight this Scenic Byway’s beginning and get folks off to a GREAT start here in Pueblo by sprucing up 4th Street, Lincoln and Thatcher and have many more combined meetings until this happens.” PHOTO: Frontier Pathways scenic conservation workshop participants pose together at “All Aboard Westcliffe.” PHOTO: Byway member Bill Zwick, representing the City of Pueblo, participates in a scenic conservation mapping exercise. PHOTO: Frontier Pathways workshop participants discuss scenic conservation issues along their byway using GIS basemaps. PHOTO: Group of people standing at side of road making notes. CAPTION: The Frontier Pathways scenic conservation mobile workshop allowed participants to inventory and discuss issues on-site along the byway. America's Byways Resource Center 394 Lake Avenue South, Suite 600 Duluth, MN 55802 Presorted First Class Mail U.S. Postage PAID St. Cloud, MN Permit No. 2650 CALENDAR [STAR] – indicates Resource Center workshop 2009 MARCH March 2-6 Rethinking Protected Areas in a Changing World: 2009 Biennial Conference on Parks, Protected Areas, and Cultural Sites Portland, Oregon George Wright Society For more information, please visit: www.georgewright.org/gws2009.html March 7-11 PA Recreation and Park Society 62nd Annual Conference Hershey, Pennsylvania For more information, please visit: www.prps.org March 24-26 National OHV Program Managers Workshop Houston, Texas National Off Highway Vehicle Conservation Council For more information, please contact: Tom Metsa at (303) 791-1954 x132 or thomas.metsa@state.co.us March 26-29 National OHV Conservation Council Annual Conference Houston, Texas National Off Highway Vehicle Conservation Council For more information, please contact: Ann Vance at (800) 348-6487, avance@nohvcc.org APRIL April 22-24 2009 California Trails and Greenways Conference Fish Camp, California California State Parks; Recreational Trails Conference Foundation For more information, please visit: www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=24151 MAY May 16-20 Miami International Pow Wow Travel Industry Association Miami, Florida For more information, please visit: http://www.tia.org/powwow/General_Information.html JUNE June 15-18 NCAI Mid Year Conference Niagara Falls, New York National Congress of American Indians For more information, please visit: http://www.ncai.org/Conferences_Events.7.0.html June 18-28 The Gettysburg Festival: Celebrating America Gettysburg, Pennsylvania For more information, please visit: http://www.gettysburgfestival.org/# JULY July 8-10 It’s Tourism Time Phoenix, Arizona AZ Governor’s Conference on Tourism From more information, please visit: http://www.aztourismconference.com/ July 27–30 The 27th Annual National LTAP/TTAP Conference: Building Bridges in the Iron City Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania PennDOT LTAP/Region 3 LTAP Centers For more information, please visit: https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/LTAP/Public/RegistrationInfo.aspx July 9-12 Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference Gainesville, Florida Southeastern Distance Riders Association For more information, please visit: http://www.southeasternequestriantrails.com AUGUST August 23-26 STAR 2009 National Scenic Byways Conference: Elevate Your Expertise Denver, Colorado America’s Byways Resource Center For more information, please visit: www.bywaysresourcecenter.org OCTOBER October 11–16 NCAI 66th Annual Convention Palm Springs, California National Congress of American Indians For more information, please visit: http://www.ncai.org/Conferences_Events.7.0.html October 13-17, 2009 National Preservation Conference Nashville, Tennessee National Trust for Historic Preservation For more information, call: (202) 588-6092, or email conference@nthp.org CHANGE OF ADDRESS? 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