NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2003 What’s Inside: Roadside Reflections . . . . 2 Cherahola Visitor Center: A Dream Come True . . . . .4 2003 I LOVE NEW YORK Fall Festival Celebrates Historic Lakes to Locks Passage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Driving the Byway: Glenn Highway, Alaska . . .6 Coming and Going . . . . . .7 Capital Corner . . . . . . . . . .8 Byway Findings from the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment . . . . . . . . . . .9 Lights, Camera, Action! Is Creating Your Byway Video Finally Affordable? . . . . .10 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Published in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration by: America’s BywaysTM Resource Center Arrowhead Regional Development Commission 227 West First Street Suite 610 Duluth, MN 55802 1-800-4BYWAYS, Ext. 5 2004 Power Workshops: Strength Training for Byways America’s Byways Resource Center Announces New Training Schedule SIDEBAR: Get ready for something new! America’s Byways Resource Center staff have worked hard to make these events convenient for you and other byway representatives to attend. Power up! Five cities, four months, and three topics—one exceptional learning opportunity. The core of the 2004 training package offered by the America’s Byways Resource Center, these exciting workshops have been designed to build your capacity to make it through the long haul. Five locations, one event. Get ready for something new! America’s Byways Resource Center staff have worked hard to make these events convenient for you and other byway representatives to attend. Each location was carefully selected to minimize the distance attendees would need to travel. More importantly, attendees will learn from the same workbook and will be taught by the same trainers, regardless of the city they select. We’re excited about these intensive training events, because we know that those of you who attend will take back valuable information and new ways of thinking that will enable your byway to sustain itself into the future. Did you say intensive trainings? Yes, that’s right. Intensive trainings. When you attend one of these workshops, you can expect to work hard, but most importantly, you can expect to learn. With the help of three professional trainers, we have designed these workshops to give you the best in sustainability training to help you guide your byway into the future. You won’t simply sit in a classroom and listen to a lecture; instead, you’ll participate and problem-solve. (But don’t worry. After a long day of hard work, your evenings will be free to relax, see some sites, and rejuvenate for the next day.) SIDEBAR: 2004 Power Workshops: Strength Training for Byways WORKSHOP FORMAT FOR ALL LOCATIONS, ALL DATES DAY 1 - TUESDAY 9am - Noon Registration 12pm - 1pm Networking Lunch and Welcome 1 - 5pm Session 1 Three breakouts DAY 2 - WEDNESDAY Breakfast 8am - Noon Session 2 Three breakouts 12pm - 1pm Lunch 1pm - 5pm Session 3 Three breakouts DAY 3 - THURSDAY Breakfast 8am - Noon Session 4 General Session *Times are tenative. Attendees will learn from the same workbook and will be taught by the same trainers, regardless of the city they select. SIDEBAR: 2004 REGIONAL TRAINING EVENTS MARK YOUR CALENDAR! April 20-22 Charlotte, North Carolina May 11-13 Colorado Springs, Colorado May 18-20 Duluth, Minnesota June 15-17 Columbus, Ohio August 3-5 Boise, Idaho The dates are set and more information will follow. Watch for the brochure with details and registration materials coming soon! A Learning Triathlon All participants will attend all 3 training sessions, which will use the following core topics to help byway groups put together a comprehensive work plan for the future: • Organizational Development Does your byway group currently have a written mission, vision, and value statement? What about a plan for structure and succession? Does your group use agreed upon models of decision making, conflict management, and leadership? After attending the Organizational Development training session, your byway group will make intentional decisions about its structure, form strategic connections with the larger community, and have a vision for the present and future of the organization. Every byway should have a roadmap for success—and you’ll know how to make one by the end of this training session! • Funding Do your group members have the skill and ability to recognize a strong grant proposal? Has your byway group identified potential funding sources beyond those of the National Scenic Byways Program? Do the leaders have a clear understanding of federal fund requirements and the administrative responsibilities associated with these funds? This training session on funding will equip you with the information your group needs to develop a comprehensive, multi-year financial plan. You’ll develop the knowledge necessary to create a budget that supports the long-term plans for your byway, as well as a work plan and a contingency plan—plans that no byway should be without! • Resource Management Have you completed a resource inventory for your byway? Can your core group members effectively communicate the byway’s intrinsic qualities? Is there a written, comprehensive list of all stakeholders and how they impact the corridor? In the Resource Management training session, you’ll learn strategies for managing the byway’s resource and how to plan for regular review of that strategy. Your byway group will be an active steward of the corridor as a physical resource. Register early! Space is limited to 80 people for each workshop. State coordinators and up to four representatives from nationally designated byways may receive waived registration fees. Additional representatives and other interested individuals will be placed on a waiting list, notified of available space one month prior to the event, and assesed a $100 registration fee per person. Please go to www.bywaysonline.org to access materials for registering. Online registration for the workshops is not offered; all registration forms must be mailed or faxed. Watch for the brochure and registration details coming soon! SIDEBAR: MEET THE POWER TRAINERS Personal Trainer: John Whiteman, AICP Whiteman & Taintor, Boulder, Colorado Organizational Development John Whiteman, a principal with Whiteman & Taintor, has almost 20 years of experience as a planning consultant. John’s work focuses on integrating tourism development with land use planning and character protection strategies. Clients include rural, suburban and urban governmental bodies, chambers of commerce, regional agencies, nonprofit groups, state govern- ments, and federal agencies. Personal Trainer: Dr. Don Charpio Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management, Phoenix Field Office Funding Dr. Don Charpio has served as the Grants, Tourism and Partnership Specialist for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Arizona State Office for the past eleven years and now serves as the Assistant Field Manager for Resources in the Bureau’s Phoenix Field Office. His duties have included providing training, technical assistance and staff support on issues related to recreation, tourism, trails and transportation planning, grant development, partnership building and interpretative program planning. Personal Trainer: Judy Walden Walden Mills Group, Denver, Colorado Resource Management Judy Walden, President of Walden Mills Group, develops curriculum and delivers custom training to travel regions and travel businesses that seek to develop profitable travel products. She also conducts tourism feasibility and marketing studies and consults with the Ministries of Tourism in the development of ecotourism projects. Roadside Reflections Building Blocks by Michelle Johnson, Deputy Director, America’s BywaysTM Resource Center PHOTO: Michelle Johnson, Deputy Director America’s BywaysTM Resource Center My in-laws are building a new cabin on the same property as the "old" cabin, but closer to the lake. The idea is that the new cabin will accommodate more people (grandchildren, perhaps?) and become a future retirement home. Over the past year, Papa and Nana have spent many hours with an architect to determine the room layouts, the best use of space, and, most importantly, how to fit a three-bedroom, year-round cabin on the little hill lot overlooking the lake. Construction started with a bang right before the Fourth of July when Papa dug a huge hole for the basement and septic system. My daughter was convinced that Papa built the “sandbox” just for her! We celebrated our nation’s birthday and the beginning of the new cabin by burning all the brush in a huge bonfire. For the rest of the summer, time and effort was spent in making the “sandbox” stronger to support the cabin’s foundation. Eventually, floors were poured and walls were built. After bandaging blisters and massaging sore muscles, we talked about how nice it will be to see the sunset from the hilltop and watch the kids play in the lake. As much as I hope the cabin will be completed next summer, I know it won’t be finished. Papa is a one-man operation with help here and there from family and friends. In addition to the physical construction, it clearly takes a lot of time and resources to build a new cabin—including the significant investment early on to develop a comprehensive plan. Sound familiar? Building a solid house is a lot like building a byway organization. The foundation for your organization should be strong and solid. You need support and expertise from many people to develop the plan and implement the projects, and you need a vision that inspires people to help. You will get much more cooperation and support if you tell people that they can enjoy a beautiful sunset from the cabin’s deck once it's finished instead of asking if they could come over and pound nails all weekend. At the Resource Center, we’ve learned over the past five years that individual byway groups have different training needs and operate at different levels of development. Still, all byways need to have a sound organization, adequate funding and solid resource strategies to be successful over the long haul. Strong byways are built and sustained through intentional efforts. After all, where would your byway be without a clear and compelling vision, support to accomplish projects, and specific goals to manage the resources? Next year promises to be full of opportunities for byway groups and volunteers to acquire tools to develop and maintain strong byways. Our training package detailed in this issue is focused around a curriculum we’ve developed specifically for nationally designated byways. Along with three highly quali- fied trainers, we will teach par- ticipants core skills, strategies and key indicators of sustain- able byways. These training workshops will help your orga- nization to build a smooth, solid foundation. It doesn't matter which workshop location you choose. The information you learn will be the same. Pick a nearby city or bring the family and turn your trip into a vacation. We will share more details of the training sessions after the New Year begins. Look for registration materials on the Web site (www.bywaysonline.org) in February. Nationally designated byways and state scenic byway coordinators will receive additional information regarding the training sessions and registration materials after the holiday season. Please register early as we have limited space. We look forward to seeing you across the country and we hope our enthusiasm for these training opportunities shows. Be prepared to work hard! And, together, we’ll build a better way to enjoy the view. Michelle M. Johnson Deputy Director Cherohala Skyway Visitor Center: A Dream Come True! PHOTO: Cherohala Skyway Visitor Center Grand Opening Congressman Duncan receives a plaque from County Mayor Allan Watson Dreamers. That’s right. The people of Monroe County, Monroe County Tennessee are just a bunch of dreamers. First, there were people who really thought they could get the 43-mile road finished across the rugged Appalachian Mountains, connecting the sleepy towns of Tellico Plains, “Monroe County, Tennessee and Robbinsville, North Carolina. Okay, okay. So, in 1996, after 30 years and $100 million, the road was finished and dedicated Then those same dreamers thought they could get National Scenic Byway designation. Okay, okay. So in 1996, the skyway was so designated. So then they really started dreaming. They thought that they could get a visitor center on the Tennessee side. Ha! Pulling this off would require matching dollars, cooperation between federal,state and local interests plus grants and partnerships, etc. These are tough times for state budgets, and where would they come up with that kind of money? Dreamers! And everybody knows that people do not cooperate. Nope. It cannot and will not happen. Absolutely not! Well, then you haven’t met the Monroe County Commissioners; you haven’t met the people with the Monroe County Tourism Council; you haven’t met the people with the Cherokee National Forest; and you haven’t met Charles Hall or County Mayor J. Allan Watson. These people don't have “couldn’t,” “can’t,” or "won't" in their vocabulary. With a Federal Highway Administration grant through the National Scenic Byways program in excess of $800,000 and a land donation by Charles and Billie Nell Hall of $250,000, the Cherohala Skyway Visitor Center became a reality when Congressman John J. Dencan, Jr., dedicated it on September 6, 2003. Dreamers? Yep, those people are dreamers with a dash of "do-ers" mixed in. From the vision of building a visitor center, the existing partnerships along with new partnerships have extended over into the operational phase of managing the center. Five partnerships have been developed in the first three months, consisting of The Cradle of Forestry Interpretive Association, Monroe County Government, the Town of Tellico Plains, the Monroe County Tourism Council, and the USDA Forest Service. So far the partners' contributions have exceeded 50 percent of the operation cost for the first year, and these partners have committed to work together in the years to come. PHOTO: Charles and Billie Nell Hall donated land for the Cherohala Skyway Visitor Center In April 2003, County Mayor Allan Watson tabbed retired USDA Forest Servicer District Ranger Alan Alsobrook to forge the way and manage the center. The “A&A Boys (Allan Watson and Alan Alsobrook)” put together a bold, innovative plan called, “Strands of Gold” that would be a road map to making the center self-sufficient within a couple of years. It combined partnerships, sponsorships, sales, grants and in-kind contributions to reduce the fixed cost and make the center a self-sufficient operation. The plan has been widely accliamed and is moving forward. PHOTO: Left to Right: Shan Harris-Monroe County Chamber of Commerce, Charles Hall-Donor, Billie Nell Hall-Donor, Congressman John J. Duncan, Jr., Laura Hodge-Monroe County Tourism Council, Allan Watson-Monroe County Mayor, Sam Stamey-Tellico Plains Mayor, Alan Alsobrook-Visitor Center Manager County Mayor Allan Watson said, "This is the Cherohala Skyway Visitor Center, but it will surely be a visitor center for all of Monroe County. The County has so many attractions on both private and public lands that we have something for everyone. And we aren’t going to pass by our neighbors in North Carolina or surrounding counties in Tennessee. I think we will have an excellent opportunity to partner with them and benefit all of us in the area. We are committed to working together with mutual benefit and respect.” “I was beginning to wonder if we would ever open,” said Alan Alsobrook, center manager. “It rained when it should have been dry and got dry when we needed rain. But patience was a virtue, and now look at what we have. I am so honored that the county had the confidence in me to select me to be the first manager and to be responsible for getting the project off the ground. It’s been fun and exciting, and I love the people I’m working with. We have been fortunate that our elected officials have stayed in place to maintain the continuity we needed to keep the project moving,” he said. “To tell you the truth, it’s kind of an easy job. Monroe County, with all of its attractions, really sells itself,” continued Alsobrook. Monroe County offers shopping in quaint little towns like Tellico Plains, antique-ing galore in Sweetwater, touring scenic and historic Coker Creek, recreating on the Tellico Lake, and visiting national attractions like the Lost Sea, the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, Charles Hall Museum, and Fort Loudon State Park. “Then there is the other 30 percent of the county,” said Alsobrook. “It is a National Forest, and it has the Skyway, Bald River Falls, Indian Boundary recreational area, trout fishing, hunting, and on and on.” Dreamers! They are all a bunch of dreamers. But don’t wake these people up. This dreaming thing could be contagious. For additional information, visit the Monroe County Web site at www.monroecounty.com or e-mail info@monroecounty.com 2003 I LOVE NEW YORK Fall Festival Celebrates Historic Lakes to Locks Passage Lakes to Locks Passage, Inc., was designated host of the official I LOVE NEW YORK Fall Festival. The festival, “Lakes to Locks Passage: The Great Northeast Journey,” ran from Labor Day weekend through mid-November, spanning the five New York counties (Saratoga, Warren, Washington, Essex and Clinton) through which North America’s first interconnected waterway flows. PHOTO: The Battle of Plattsburgh re-enactment was held in September. “Framed by New York State’s unparalleled scenic beauty, the waterway formed by the Upper Hudson River/Champlain Canal, Lake George and Lake Champlain played a significant role in the development of our country,” Governor George E. Pataki said. “Through the I LOVE NEW YORK Festival program, we hope to introduce travelers to the unique and wonderful communities along this historic passage while helping the participating localities bring in additional tourist revenue.” Highlights of the festival included Waterford’s Tug Boat Round-Up, the Battle of Plattsburgh Commemoration, the I LOVE NEW YORK Adirondack Balloon Festival in Queensbury, the Third Annual Encampment of the French and Indian War in Ft. Edward, and Historic Ironville’s Applefolkfest. Ron Ofner, President of Lakes to Locks Passage, Inc., said, “We are honored to have been selected as hosts of this year’s I LOVE NEW YORK Fall Festival. This represents the first opportunity to enhance economic activity in the region as a direct result of our All-American Road designation. We’re confident that visitors to this spectacular part of New York State will be inspired by the wealth of scenic beauty, marvel at the many historic sites and museums, and relish the hospitality provided by our small, vibrant communities.”  Driving the Byway Glenn Highway, Alaska Byway Length: 135 miles Drive Time: 8 hours Designation: Alaska State Scenic Byway by Alaska Dept. of Transportation and Public Facilities June 30, 2000 National Scenic Byway by FHWA National Scenic Byways Program June 13, 2002 Description: Starting in Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage, the Glenn Highway traverses 135 miles northeast through the broad interior plateau to near the Eureka Summit Trailhead, the highest point on the Glenn Highway at 3322 feet. The byway crosses some of the most geologically active regions in North America and offers the traveler a glimpse at young and old mountain ranges, the fertile Matanuska Valley, receding glaciers and historic roadhouses. This route into the interior of the union’s largest state even encounters traditional caribou crossings during the late fall and early winter. PHOTO: The Matanuska River flows along the Glenn Highway. Visitors have the opportunity to view the glacial river at many points and pullouts. The Glenn Highway’s story encompasses the powerful geologic process of rocks, ice and time, and documents the peoples who came to live, trade and travel along the corridor. In addition to the stories and vistas, the roadway also serves as a main arterial route to the interior for defense, commerce and residential travel. As an interior route, the Glenn Highway serves as the principal road connection to the lower 48 states for most of Alaska’s residents. This dual role as a scenic route and transportation corridor has led to the creation of a diverse and well-rounded partnership board to oversee the future of the Glenn Highway. Corridor Partnership Plan and Partnership Board A partnership board was created to address the various interests affecting the management of the Glenn Highway. The Glenn Highway Partnership Board consists of residents, business owners, politicians and agency representatives. The board meets regularly to coordinate byway- planning initiatives. PHOTO: A view of the rivers and mountains along the Glenn Highway. The initial task of the Partnership Board was to create the Glenn Highway Corridor Partnership Plan. In addition to research, inventories and other elements that make up a corridor plan, the byway sought broad community input and support through four separate public meetings along the corridor to gain input on the plan and byway designation. From these meetings the following goals were identified for the byway: 1. Provide opportunities to learn about the history and culture of the byway. 2. Enhance scenic views along the byway. 3. Provide opportunities to learn about significant geologic events and processes that have shaped the land around the corridor. 4. Enhance the year-round Alaskan experience along the byway. 5. Enhance safety along the corridor. 6. Observe private property boundaries and limit access to the public. According to the Glenn Highway Corridor Partnership Plan, the byway embodies the Alaskan experience from scenic vistas to the history and culture of the area. The byway further enhances communities, increases tourism and adds local culture and economic base. The Glenn Highway Partnership Board seeks to tell the byway’s story and broaden the travelers’ experience through improvements to make the roadway safer, more comfortable and accessible. Implementing the Partnership Plan The Partnership Board recognized that clear responsibilities would need to be addressed to fully realize the goals of the byway plan. The following is a synopsis of the responsibilities associated with implementing the plan. These simple guidelines have helped the Glenn Highway accomplish many of its goals and continue to help balance the various interests along the corridor. PHOTO: Roadhouses along the Glenn Highway serve travelers with dining, coffee and lodging. 1. Parties Responsible for Plan Implementation While the Partnership Board plays a pivotal role in plan implementation, it is not the only party responsible for ensuring the plan’s objectives. Individuals or agencies that may or may not be represented on the Partnership Board will carry out most of the plan objectives. 2. Individual Responsibilities Each individual who has a role in the plan implementation has the responsibility to attend meetings and participate actively, be well prepared for meetings and respect the rights and opinions of other meeting participants. 3. Partnership Board Responsibilities The Partnership Board acts as the administrative entity to help implement the plan. This group oversees the grant process, acts as a resource for developers along the byway, identifies significant issues along the byway and can establish sub-committees to address issues in detail. 4. Agency Responsibilities Each agency with specific jurisdiction or operation responsibilities along the corridor will work with the Partnership Board to collaboratively work on efforts that enhance the byway and carry out the plan. Affected agencies will be approached about initiatives and, in some cases, these agencies may take the primary initiative to see that the project is completed. For more information, please contact: Corri Feige Glenn Highway Alaska Byway Leader Owner, Castle Mountain B & B P.O. Box 1208 Chickaloon, Alaska 99674 Phone: (907) 745-7818 Bonnie Quill Glenn Highway Alaska Byway Marketing Contact Director, Matanuska Susitna Convention and Visitor Bureau HC 01, Box 6166J21 Palmer, Alaska 99645 Phone: (907) 465-4481 Fax: (907) 465-2016 E-mail: bonnie@alaskavisit.com  SIDEBAR: Future Projects: The byway organization is currently recruiting a part-time administrator, filing for 501c(3) status, launching a newsletter and discussing its imminent interpretive master plan. The first major presence of scenic byway information is apt to be included in the commuter center adjacent to the state fairgrounds in Palmer, due to open in August 2004. Coming and Going Farewell Words From Shana Baker PHOTO: Shana Baker, Director of the National Scenic Byways Program. It was a pleasure to serve as the Director of the National Scenic Byways Program. My tenure as Director was a rich and rewarding experience both professionally and personally. I was honored to lead and work with efficient and passionate Program staff in Washington, D.C., and staff at the America’s Byways Resource Center in Duluth, MN. During the time I served as Director, I was privileged to meet extraordinary people from the byways community throughout the United States. The byways community truly makes America’s Byways™ what they are, the heart and soul of America. As I reflected over the past year, the National Scenic Byways Program accomplished the following: The 2003 National Scenic Byways Conference The America’s Byways Resource Center staff did a phenomenal job in planning and organizing the National Scenic Byways Conference, which was held in Albuquerque, NM in May 2003. Over 400 people attended the conference to brush up on or learn about new ideas pertaining to marketing, sustainability, funding, interpretation and way finding. Marketing America’s Byways™ National Scenic Byways Program staff did an exemplary job to further brand America’s Byways™. Efforts included the development of media kit folders and content, America’s Byways™ letterhead and labels, a customizable brochure, and the redesigned Web site (www.byways.org). Media outreach generated significant interest such as Self Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, MSNBC.COM, Midwest Living and many more. Partnerships National Scenic Byways Program staff worked diligently with its public and private sector partners. As part of the National Scenic Byways Program and Mobil Travel Guide partnership, Mobil Travel Guide plans to release its America’s Byways™ series in February 2004. The series includes four guides on (1) America’s Byways - All-American Roads (2) America’s Byways - The Midwest (3) America’s Byways – The Mountain Region and (4) America’s Byways – The West Coast. Program staff will continue to work with TIA on the See America’s Byways campaign to generate renewed interest in driving trips throughout the United States with an emphasis on America’s Byways™. Since its inception, the National Scenic Byways Program has evolved. Significant strides have been made and many more are to come. The efforts to improve the Program and mature the America’s Byways™ brand will continue down the road. Thank you for allowing me to serve you. It was my honor and pleasure to lead the National Scenic Byways Program. I wish each of you much success in your future endeavors. CAPITAL CORNER Be Prepared, Stay Active! An Update From The American Recreation Coalition Byways supporters have worked hard to deliver their messages this fall as the U.S. Congress struggled with a variety of important debates, ranging from Iraq funding to a new energy bill. But recent developments hint that progress is being made behind the scenes, and a new bill charting the future of surface transportation programs for the next six years might be up for consideration in early 2004 after all. Key leaders in the U.S. Senate, including the Majority and Minority leaders of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Inhofe (R-OK) and Senator Jeffords (D-VT), appear to have reached a deal that would bring the reauthorization proposal forward for committee markup before the end of the year. However, it is still not clear whether a full new surface transportation law will emerge or whether another extension—this time for 18 months—will be needed to resolve core issues of funding. Indexed motorfuel taxes, new borrowing authorities and revised treatment of ethanol subsidies are all being discussed. If reauthorization is to pass in 2004, it will likely occur by spring, so that new spending will occur in communities across the nation before the fall elections. Meanwhile, the battle against earmarking byways grant dollars was again a key part of the FY2004 Transportation Department budget. This year, the Senate championed full funding of the merit-based grants, undoubtedly spurred by byways community leaders during the two previous appropriations cycles. However, at press time, nearly half of the total byways program money has been earmarked for specific state programs and projects. What does this mean for byways boosters? Be prepared, and stay active. Whether under an extension of TEA-21 or new legislation, byways programs will continue. And the need to share byways successes remains critical. For updates on appropriations and reauthorization legislation affecting the byway community, check on the information posted on ARC’s Web site, arc@funoutdoors.com. Some in the byways community may be aware that another program with impact on byways was nearly lost this fall to an aggressive House Appropriations Subcommittee. The Transportation Enhancements program was eliminated at the Subcommittee level in the FY04 budget but was restored by an overwhelming margin of 3:1 on the House floor. U.S. Representative Tom Petri of Wisconsin, chairman of the Highways Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, led the floor efforts to protect TE with strong and widespread support from conservation, environmental and recreation interests, as well as the support of key traditional highway interests like AASHTO. We continue to have exciting news to share about the Byways Virtual Tour Project unveiled this year at the National Scenic Byways Conference. You’ll recall that the virtual tour project combines high-resolution aerial photographs with extensive data, accessed by clicking on icons appearing as you “fly” over the byway. Information on campgrounds and trailheads, visitor centers and museums, even live webcams displaying weather and foliage status, can all be accessed. The Beta phase is now underway, and the America’s Byways Resource Center has joined the three original partners (ARC, Florida International University and Utah State University). The Center will help underwrite a special research project that will focus on user satisfaction with the tour. Byways involved in the virtual tour project include the Creole Nature Trail AAR, Woodward Avenue NSB, Historic Columbia River Highway AAR and Logan Canyon NSB. And we are especially excited to be joined by the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Federal Lands Highway Program of FHWA, allowing us to add five more byways to the project. Virtual tours for all of these byways will be operational by early 2004. For more information on this project, please contact us. Derrick A. Crandall President, American Recreation Coalition Mary Beth Seibert Byways Consultant 1225 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 450 Washington, DC 20005 202-682-9530, fax 202-682-9529  Byway Findings from the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment In the first half of 2002, 5,000 Americans completed the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE version 13). The NSRE, begun in 1960, is an ongoing, periodic national survey conducted by the U.S. Forest Service to track recreation-use patterns and environmental attitudes among the American public. Over the years, the NSRE surveys have changed methodology, composition, funding and sponsorship, but the format and content of questions have been kept as consistent as possible so that long-term participation and other trends could be analyzed. In 2000, the America’s Byways Resource Center met with the U.S. Forest Service to work on a series of questions for inclusion in NSRE version 13 (2002) that could obtain nationally representative data about auto-based travel behavior and preferences, and public use of interpretive resources. General findings from the 12 byway-related questions (and their sub-questions) provide detailed information about pleasure-driving user popularity, characteristics, preferences and trip activities. A full report on the Byway Findings From the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment will be available this winter. Look for details in upcoming Vistas and on www.bywaysonline.org. SIDEBAR: A full report is being developed with the detail from each of the questions and the categories. Below is a summary of what the NSRE version 13 revealed for byways: Participation in Driving for Pleasure • Driving for pleasure in rural areas (“along country roads or in park, forest or other natural setting”) is one of the more popular recreation activities in the U.S., with 56 percent of the American public engaging in this leisure pursuit. Only walking, family gathering, swimming (all forms), viewing natural scenery, visiting a nature center/nature trail/zoo, picnicking and sightseeing are more popular based on reported participation in the last year. Barriers to Participation in Driving for Pleasure • The primary barrier to driving for pleasure in rural areas is lack of adequate time to do so, mentioned by 52 percent of survey respondents. Controllable factors include inadequate information or not enough to see and do were cited by only one of six individuals (17%). Demographic Comparisons of Pleasure Drivers and Non-participants • Persons who go driving for pleasure are more highly educated, have slightly greater income levels, and are more likely to be white as compared with non-participants. Other sociodemographic characteristics such as age, gender, household size and employment status were not useful in distinguishing these two subgroups. Comparisons of Environmental Attitudes and Behavior among Pleasure Drivers and Non-participants • Individuals who participate in driving for pleasure show the same patterns of significant support for environmental protection and a strong conservation ethic as does the larger NSRE (National Survey on Recreation and the Environment) survey population. Activity Patterns while Driving for Pleasure • On their last pleasure driving trip when the traveler was not in a hurry, the most popular activities were those associated with travel services and information provision—stopping at a rest area (68%), scenic pullout (64%), walking around a small town (64%), roadside displays (50%), and/or visitor center (49%). Familiarity with the Byway Concept • Seventy percent of respondents had heard of the term “scenic byways,” and 38 percent were familiar with America’s Byways (or America’s byways); however, a majority of individuals could not name an existing “specially designated road with significant scenic, historic or cultural features.” Frequency of Use • The majority (62.6%) of respondents reported that they occasionally drive a specially designated road if they have the time. One third of respondents reported driving these roads frequently. Road Corridor Management PreferenceS • The preferred setting for the majority of pleasure drivers would be: a tree-lined road with unobstructed landscape views and undeveloped green space, complemented by scenic pullouts and overlooks—all with no one else around (“an uncrowded tourist area”). Each of those features or management out- comes is considered important or very important by at least 63 percent of participants. PHOTO: Driving for pleasure in rural areas is one of the more popular recreation activities in the U.S. Investment Priorities at Scenic Pullouts • Survey findings suggest the public has dual priorities in directing public investment dollars at scenic pullouts— management to protect the natural resource base and restrooms. Provision of educational information and short trails/walkways are slightly less important but still enjoy strong support among the survey respondents. Interpretive Preferences, Use Patterns and Motivations • Two thirds of pleasure drivers show an interest in utilizing roadside exhibits and historic markers, and reading informa- tional guides and educational pamphlets while enroute. Guided audio tours are far less popular, with only 8 percent terming them “very important.” • The importance of roadside displays in the pleasure-driving experience is highlighted by the fact that over 80 percent of travelers would spend 15 to 30 minutes onsite if there were interesting activity options. The two most common reasons stated for stopping at roadside displays were the scenic views and to learn about the area. The NSRE (currently, version 14) is still being conducted and may continue as long as the sponsors and partners provide financial support. It is expected that over 80,000 phone surveys will have been completed. For additional information on NSRE visit www.srs.fs.usda.gov/trends/ A full report on the Byway Findings From the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment will be available this winter. Look for details in upcoming Vistas and on www.bywaysonline.org. Lights, Camera, Action! Is Creating Your Byway Video Finally Affordable? (Part one of a two-part series) By Larry Valtelhas, Valtelhas Productions So you want to be in pictures, or rather, you want to create a moving picture for your byway? Ten years ago your budget and your video project goals probably did not even live on the same planet, but now, due to recent technological productivity improvements, you just might be able to develop some of those video ideas gathering dust in your files. Today, you can produce a five or ten minute video to promote your byway at trade shows and public gatherings, not for $100,000, or even $25,000, but for less than $10,000, if you know how to make everything fall into place. The process of creating a video is straight forward, if you pay attention to details, yet risky, if you do not. Fortunately, you do not have to be a Hollywood producer to get decent results. And just about anyone that has grown up with television has the intuitive skills to get the job done. The goal of this article is to outline a series of steps you might think about following to ensure your success. Step One: Creating a video concept or idea A successful video project starts with a well-conceived idea. To begin, consider your topic, venue and target audience. Topic -What story do you want to tell? Is your video going to be a marketing tool or will it present training for byway volunteers? Will your video provide public information that will help to preserve intrinsic qualities on your byway or will it interpret one of your byway assets? Venue -Where do you want to promote the video? What is the venue? Will it be broadcast on TV or cable or the Internet? Will it be copied onto VHS tapes or DVDs or CDs? Will your video be seen on a projection system, a large screen TV, or a small tabletop TV, or perhaps even on a tour bus? What are the sound requirements? Will it be seen in a lighted area or a dark room? Will it have multiple channels of distribution? Target -Who is your target audience? Will it be adults you want to visit your byway or will it be children you want to educate about the preservation of irreplaceable resources? Will your audience be tourism professionals, such as travel agents, that you want to educate about all the assets you have on your byway or will it be a general audience of all of the above? Answering those questions will either narrow or expand the scope of your project. You do not have to have all the answers. Just thinking about some of the previous questions will put you and your byway on the right track. Step Two: Outlining a budget Compiling a realistic budget is an important step. It is unlikely you will create a $100-million-dollar Hollywood production, but, you are probably not going to want to see the quality level of the family reunion film Uncle Fred shot in the 1960s with his 8mm camera either. Come up with a reasonable, attainable budget. Here are some ballpark figures for different activities. The costs illustrated can easily vary a few hundred percent. You can also expect to add to those costs, if your project requires highly paid talent, newly produced sound, and leading-edge special effects. Take a pragmatic approach in matching your ideas with your budget. A good start is to choose a production standard and work your budget up or down from there. FIGURE: PRODUCTION COST LENGTH Hollywood movie $500,000/minute 120 minutes TV movie $100,000/minute 90 minutes High-end commercial $50,000/minute 60 seconds Documentary $5,000/minute 60 minutes Training or infomercial $1,000/minute 20 minutes Local TV commercial $1,500/minute 60 seconds Wedding or event video $50/minute 30 minutes PHOTO: Whose that doggy in the window? This barking dog played a cameo role in a short promotional video about Cerrillos, New Mexico, a dusty western town located on the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway. SIDBEBAR: ACTION! SAMPLE STORYBOARD TIMELINE 00:36:00 VIDEO T1: Cut to clip of Mount Chalchihuitl as it zooms out to the cactus plant. AUDIO (voice-over): In fact, Mount Chalchihuitl is the oldest mine in North America. Mining is believed to have first occurred well over a thousand years ago. PHOTO: Storyboard frames like this one can help you make inexpensive changes before costly production begins. Step Three: Building a schedule A schedule is an invaluable tool. Anyone who has tackled a complex project, like building a home, knows that things usually take longer than planned. Homebuilders advise tripling your expected timeline. The same is true for a video project—figure out how long the project should take—and triple it. Depending on the complexity of the project, milestones should be in sufficient detail to see how close the project is to completion in both time and money. This is especially important if you are paying a vendor. Make progress payments as work is completed. For smaller, less expensive projects, where progress payments are not made, less intensive management is required. Here are a few major completion milestones you can use to track your video production progress. Storyboard -A storyboard is just that, the telling of your story. It usually contains simple sketches along with dialog notes. When the storyboard is complete, so are the research and scriptwriting aspects of the project. Although a storyboard is not necessary for many projects, it is extremely helpful for two reasons. First, a storyboard gets all your ideas down on paper. It allows you to organize your story and make adjustments before the expensive production work begins. By “paying attention to details,” as previously discussed, you can avoid costly changes and mistakes. Storyboards are relatively inexpensive to change and are essential, if you want to keep your budget on-track. Second, storyboards allow you and your video producer to understand your project goals, almost eliminating misunderstandings. Production shooting -When production is completed and all of your video has been caught on tape, many of the people involved in the project, such as on-screen talent, camera, sound, and lighting people are no longer required. However, be aware that if mistakes are made during production, more production time may be required. To insure production is complete, all the video should be reviewed against a written list of shots required. Post-production -Once production is complete, an editor uses a script or storyboard to put the pieces of video together, typically using computers and software to manipulate the raw video previously shot. Off-line narration may be done at this point or it may be done during production shooting, depending on the producer’s or director’s method. Editing is a significant effort. Depending on the production, special effects, such as slow motion may be added, as well as the insertion of text titles. Simple animation may be added during editing, but more complex animation would be created during production shooting. Sound tracks for music are added and sweetened, which improves the quality of the sound. When editing is completed, a master or several masters of varying formats are created and made ready for delivery. Duplication and distribution This portion of the project could be as simple as the delivery of one mini-DV (miniature digital video) tape or as complex as creating several different formats and duplicating many copies for various media. Broadcast tapes can be created in formats that television or cable stations may require. Special compression techniques to put video on the Internet may be employed. VHS tapes and creative cover artwork for packaging may be necessary. CDs or DVDs might have to be authored, a process of creating interactive menus and properly formatting the video, so it works on CD and DVD players and even on different target computers. Watch the January-February 2004 Vistas for part two of this article. The next section will provide ideas on funding and managing your video project. For more information, please contact: Larry Valtelhas Valtelhas Productions PO Box 668 Cedar Crest, NM 87008 Phone: (505) 286-8632 Email: lfv@i2001.com Note: Larry is an active member of the all-volunteer Turquoise Trail Association. 2004 Calendar Send calendar entries by the 5th of each month to center@byways.org 2004 JANUARY January 21, 2004 February 2-4, 2004 April 22-25, 2004 State Coordinators Conference Call South Carolina Governor’s Conference on Preserving the Historic Road Time: To be announced Tourism and Travel in America Conference Toll-free number and passcode Columbia, South Carolina Portland, Oregon to be announced January 22-24, 2004 Smart Growth Conference Denver. Colorado “Building Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities” Portland, Oregon For more information, please contact Sherry Ways at sherryways@fhwa.dot.gov FEBRUARY February 5-7, 2004 7th Annual Historic Preservation Conference For more information, please visit: www.historicroads.org Third Annual New Partners for Colorado Preservation, Inc. February 18, 2004 State Coordinators Conference Call Time: To be announced Toll-free number and passcode to be announced APRIL April 22-25, 2004 International Pow Wow Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) For more information, please visit: http://www.powwowonline.com/ SIDEBAR: 2004 POWER WORKSHOPS: STRENGTH TRAINING FOR BYWAYS REGIONAL TRAINING EVENTS WORKSHOP DATES & LOCATIONS April 20-22 Charlotte, North Carolina May 11-13 Colorado Springs, Colorado May 18-20 Duluth, Minnesota June 15-17 Columbus, Ohio August 3-5 Boise, Idaho America’s BywaysTM Resource Center Arrowhead Regional Development Commission 227 West First Street, Suite 610 Duluth, MN 55802 SIDEBAR: VISTAS is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, processed chlorine free.