NOV/DEC 2001 


What’s Inside: 

Roadside Reflections . . . . 2 

Nonprofit Charitable 
Organizations: The First 
Rule of Fundraising . . . . . 2 

Sample Nomination 
Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

Driving the Byways . . . . . 5 

Buffalo Nations: 
American Indian Tourism 
Conference . . . . . . . . . . .6 

Byways are a 
State Fair Winner . . . . . . . 7 

Ideas for Better Byways . . . 7 

Coming & Going . . . . . . . . 8 

Off the Shelf . . . . . . . . . .8 

National Road Alliance 
Fosters New Interest in 
an Old Road . . . . . . . . . . .9 

Wisconsin’s Scenic Byways 
Program Prepares to 
“Hit the Road” ..........10 

Opportunities . . . . . . . . .10 

Scenic America 
Names Last Chance 
Landscapes 2001 . . . . . . 11 

Published in cooperation 
with the Federal Highway 
Administration by: 

America’s Byways 
Resource Center 
Arrowhead Regional 
Development Commission 
227 West First Street 
Suite 610 
Duluth, MN 55802 
1-800-4BYWAYS, Ext. 5 


Take a Tour, Ride a Bike, or Paddle a Canoe 

Increase Goodwill and Community Support Through Involvement 

Everyone knows the value 
of friends. Friends are our 
advocates, allies, helpers and 
promoters. Just as individuals 
need personal friends, organizations 
need professional friends. To 
be successful, your byway group 
needs to develop a large circle of 
friends—citizens, businesses, partner 

organizations and state agencies. 
Some of your byway’s strongest 
supporters can be elected officials 
—mayors, city councilors, county 
commissioners, state officials, and 
national office holders. Across the 
country, byway organizations are 
finding unique ways to build public 
and political support. Here are a 
few examples: 

Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway 
(Oregon) has been featured in 
local television news stories. 
When a pre-workshop for the 
2001 National Scenic Byways 
Conference was scheduled in 
Bend, Byway Leader Robin (Lee) 
Gyorgyfalvy used this as an 
opportunity to increase local awareness 
about the byway program. 

To be successful, your byway group needs to develop 
a large circle of friends—citizens, businesses, partner 
organizations and state agencies. 

PHOTO: Special events are great opportunities to increase public and political awareness. When the 
Elk Lake Guard Station, Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway (Oregon), was dedicated this 
summer, dignitaries from the U.S. Forest Service and the Federal Highway Administration 
participated. Instead of the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony, they “sawed a log” to 
dedicate the restoration of this historic building. 

PHOTO: The Flaming Gorge Byway winds through desert landscape. 

Flaming Gorge-Unitas Scenic 
Byway (Utah) has a Scenic 
Byway Committee that includes 
the county commissioners from 
Daggett County and Unitah 
County (the two counties the 
byway passes through). The 
commissioners provide important 
public input. 

Midland Trail (West Virginia) has 
organized “Freedom Trek” rides. 
In May 2001, cyclists promoted 
tourism and retraced footsteps of 
Booker T. Washington in a 450-mile 
“Ride Across the Virginias.” The 
Midland Trail was included in the 
route. Along the way, cyclists 
were joined by journalists, authors, 
historians, religious leaders, and 
tourism specialists. 

Aurora, Indiana is a historic 
community located on the Ohio 
River Scenic Route (Indiana). 
When a recent “Your Town ” 
design workshop was held in 
Aurora, Mayor Richard Ullrich 
delivered a keynote address. The 
community also planned a tour, 
hosted dinners at local restaurants 
and provided transportation for 
workshop participants. 

In partnership with Rocky 
Mountain PBS, a public education 
project highlighted the cultural 
and historical qualities of 
Colorado’s San Juan Skyway (first 
in a series about byways). Along 
with the television program, a 
video and companion materials 
were prepared for elementary 
school children as part of 
Colorado’s history curriculum. 

PHOTO: San Juan Skyway. 

Along Washington’s Strait of Juan 
de Fuca Highway, a gateway 
project, including a picnic area, 
information kiosks and landscaping, 
was completed with the assistance 
of the Lions Club, community 
volunteers, students, the Chamber 
of Commerce, the Department 
of Transportation, and Clallam 
County. A complete litter clean-up 
along the 61-mile byway was 
accomplished with help from some 
nontraditional partners: an outdoor 
crew from the Olympic Corrections 
Center and 30-50 naval personnel 
from the USS Abraham Lincoln 
that was docked at port along 
the byway. 

When folks living in the 
Blackstone Valley (Rhode 
Island and Massachusetts) were 
drumming up support for their 
area, they invited community 
leaders to take a canoe trip on 
the Blackstone River. A few hours 
of paddling on the peaceful river 
sparked interest that later resulted 
in creation of the Blackstone River 
Valley National Heritage Corridor. 

Sixteen communities along the 
Great River Road (Wisconsin 
and Minnesota) collaborate on 
the 85-mile garage sale held each 
year on the first weekend in May. 
Over a two-day period, residents 
and businesses clean out their 
closets for a sale on both sides 
of the Mississippi River. The 
annual event draws thousands 
of byway visitors. 

Edge of the Wilderness Scenic 
Byway (Minnesota) hosted a 
daylong celebration for a new 
streetscape, bridge, and interpretive 
park project. Activities included a 
community picnic, street dance, 
parade, ribbon-cutting ceremony, 
and release of a rescued bald eagle. 
Local and national political leaders 
were included. 

Homestead-era structures have 
been moved from original locations 
and collected at a village museum 
site at Fort Rock, along Oregon’s 
Outback Scenic Byway. Community 
volunteers, Lake County Road 
Department and Midstate Electric 
Cooperative moved the buildings. 
Restoration has been the work of 
a few local members. The museum 
has also been the recipient of 
Oregon State lottery funds. 

Share Good News 

Throughout the year, keep your 
partners, area leaders and local and 
state officials updated on byway 
activities and projects. Take time 
to share your success stories. 

• Send media releases and 
  stories related to byway 
  activities and projects. 

• Distribute an annual 
  byway report. 

• Create a holiday letter to 
  update supporters on the 
  year’s accomplishments. 

• Compile information about 
  the impact of public grants 
  in your area. 

• Keep in contact via e-mail 
  updates and newsletters. 

• Set up a byway tour for 
  community members. 

• Give public recognition 
  and awards to deserving 
  byway volunteers, supporters, 
  and contributors. 

• Sponsor a byway open house. 

• Find reasons for community 
  celebrations, such as byway 
  designation, project completions, 
  or visitor center openings. 

• Invite public officials and 
  community leaders to 
  participate in special byway 
  functions, dedication events, 
  and public town meetings.
 
• Involve school children in 
  byway projects and events. 

PHOTOS: (3)
Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Bikers on the Midland Trail. 
Congressman James Oberstar releases a bald eagle during an Edge of the Wilderness Scenic 
Byway dedication event. Photo by John Bray, MnDOT. 
 


Roadside Reflections 
by Michelle Johnson, Associate Director 

The value of friends 

Think about your friends. I bet 
you have friends that you call 
every day. You share secrets, 
fears and hopes for the future. 
Other friends are more 
removed from your daily lives, 
but still valued. Maybe you 
share a summer weekend at 
their cabins or other special 
events. And you can’t forget 
the Christmas card list. All 
year long and every day, your 
friends provide a valuable 
network of support, help 
and guidance as you celebrate 
life and endure hardships. 

Does your byway have friends? 
As a byway advocate, do you 
have a support network to 
advance projects, promote byway 
efforts, secure funding? Think 
about it. The larger and more 
supportive your network, the 
better off your byway efforts. 
Who do you turn to when you 
need funding? Who celebrates 
byway successes with you? 

Several byways have developed 
a circle of friends. The Creole 
Nature Trail (Louisiana) is 
supported by the Lake Charles 
Convention and Visitors Bureau. 
The Billy the Kid National Scenic 
Byway in New Mexico has an 
agreement with its neighbor, 
the Hubbard Museum of the 
American West, to help staff and 
manage the byway visitor center. 
The Gitchi Gami Trail Association 
is dedicated to building a non- 
motorized bike trail along the 
North Shore All American Road 
in Minnesota. This group built a 
circle of friends in its membership 
and raised a considerable amount 
of money before the first trail 
segment was paved! 

As we celebrate this holiday 
season, hold your friends close, 
tell them how much you value 
them, and give thanks. 

PHOTO: Michelle Johnson, 
Resource Center 
Associate Director 


Nonprofit Charitable Organizations:
The First Rule of Fundraising

Advice for Nonprofit Organizations 
By Stan Hutton 
Reprinted with permission 

Everyone agrees that the first 
rule of fundraising is to ask. 
Few people make a contribution 
without being asked for it. 

But the bigger questions are who, 
how and when. Should you ask 
your mother? Should you ask her 
near the end of the year so she’ll 
be thinking of tax deductions? 
Should you send her a letter, call 
her on the phone or sit down 
with her to have a heart-to-heart 
talk about your charity? 

Yes, you should ask your mother, 
although she’s probably not the 
first one to approach. The first 
group you should ask is the board 
of directors. Presumably, people 
who join your board support 
your goals and programs. Board 
members must demonstrate this 
support with a significant (to 
them) financial contribution. 

The second group to solicit 
includes people who benefit from 
your programs. If you provide 
health services, ask your patients. 
If you run educational programs for 

children, ask their parents. If you 
operate a performing arts venue, 
ask your audience. 

Past donors are a third group 
that shouldn’t be overlooked. If 
someone contributed last year, 
they are more likely to contribute 
this year. 

After you’ve gone to these three 
groups, it’s time to ask your 
mother and everyone else whose 
ear you can capture. 

How do you ask? A letter is a 
good place to begin. You can 
explain your programs and 
why they are important to 
the community and to your 
clients. But again, don’t forget 
to ask for the contribution. 
And be sure to enclose a self-
addressed envelope. 

If you go beyond sending a 
few letters to your friends and 
associates, you may have the 
beginnings of a direct mail 
program. There is an excellent 
summary of direct mail fundraising 
by Mary Ellen Barnes at the 
Information for Nonprofits site 
(www.nonprofit.about.com). 

Follow-up phone calls to those 
who haven’t responded to a letter 
can pay big dividends, especially 
if you can recruit volunteers to 
make the calls. It’s best to let 
people know to expect a call. 
Some organizations mail post-
cards to donors before calling. 

Face-to-face solicitations are 
almost always a necessity when 
you’re asking for a large (usually 
called a major gift) contribution. 
The definition of a major gift 
will depend on the size of your 
organization. For some it may 
$250; for others it may be $5,000 
or more. Board members must be 
involved in asking for major gifts, 
and they must be able to say, “I 
made a gift and I’d like you to 
make one too.” 

Afraid to ask for money? Take a 
look at advice from Kim Klein, 
brought to you by the Alliance 
for Nonprofit Management 
(www.nonprofit.about.com). Her 
article is titled “Why are people 
afraid to ask for money?” 

When should you ask? Certainly 
many charitable organizations send 
out request letters near the end of 
the year. Accepted wisdom is 
that the combination of holiday 
spirit and imminent tax bills 
will increase the chance of 
getting a donation. 

But you should be fundraising 
on a year-round basis. Most large 
charities have direct mail programs 
that solicit donors and prospective 
donors six or more times a year. 

Don’t forget that most contributions 
from mail and telephone calls are small, 
in the $10 to $20 range. Donors at this 
level don’t contribute for tax reasons. 
They give because they want to help, 
and their contributions, taken 
together, make up most of the 
money given to charity each year. 

About the Author: 
Stan Hutton, a nonprofit 
management professional, 
is a program officer at the 
Clarence E. Heller Charitable 
Foundation. He is co-author of 
the Nonprofit Kit for Dummies. 

For more information, visit: 
http://nonprofit.about.com. 



Note: This is part of a continuing series of articles by the Federal Highway Administration about the nomination of roads as National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads. 
FHWA asked “Kurt and Kay” to share their insights on preparing their nomination, in hopes that the work you do to complete the nomination will be more productive. 
Remember, the nomination is intended to help you tell the story of your byway. The sample nomination and letter represent suggestions you might want to consider but 
the Big Waters example isn't the perfect nomination. This letter and the sample nomination for Big Waters Scenic Byway will be posted on www.byways.org. 

October 41, 2001 


Hello Fellow Nominees, 

Having just completed the on-line Big Waters Scenic Byway nomination, Kurt and I can celebrate because we’re finished. 
We thought the on-line system worked really well and helped us organize our nomination story. We are delighted the 
National Scenic Byways Program staff asked us to collect our thoughts on the 2002 national designation process and offer 
you our hints, pointers and words to the wise. 

We began this effort in two ways. First, we went online, trying to get a feel for how the system collected information 
and how we would want to prepare ourselves to tell our story. The first version of our nomination was pretty silly. We 
scrolled section by section, filling in blocks of meaningless text, clicking attachments and making silly references. The 
printed nomination helped us see how all the different tools would relate and gave us ideas about the materials we 
would want available before we really began writing. 

At the same time, a group of us sat down and outlined the main features, arguments and supporting materials we would 
want to emphasize as our story unfolded. We wanted reviewers to form a mental image of our byway since they had 
probably never been on it before. We identified some main facts or themes we knew we wanted to reinforce several 
times in the nomination, including: 

• Our byway is totally integrated with the landscape of the corridor and Big Lake. 
• Our strong partners and byway organization are closely linked to the roadway and partner managed lands. 
• We know who our byway traveler is because we have conducted a survey and observed travel patterns.
 
With these and other points in mind, we identified the places where we could reinforce important messages several times. The 
story section, descriptions for slides, points of interest or supporting documents and the corridor management section gave us 
multiple places to mention our facts and themes. While Kurt and I were the primary authors, we asked other members of our 
nomination team to review the draft nomination frequently. We needed to be sure we weren’t missing obvious opportunities or 
belaboring some points. 

Having finished the nomination, we offer the following pointers as helpful hints to others preparing nominations: 

• We outlined the main elements and attachments for our nomination before beginning. 
• We carefully looked at the Intrinsic Quality Summary and Policy Excerpts, laying out the information needed 
  in order to answer the questions posed in these tables. 
• We wrote the longer narrative sections with word processing software and used cut-and-paste features to input 
  blocks of text into the on-line nomination. We also made sure all the text and spacing remained consistent. 
• We made sure we broke up the text with headings in CAPITAL LETTERS and used dashes when needed because 
  we felt they made the printout easier to read. 
• We collected our slides, brochures, maps and other attachments early and organized them in an order 
  that we felt helped add layers of information to our story. 
• We simply hand-lettered our slide, recreation site and point-of-interest information on separate copies of the 
  byway map after we’d completed the on-line nomination to be sure we didn’t overlook important information. 
• We paid special attention to listing really important references to attachments directly in the text so that readers 
  could quickly find and understand the information we wanted them to grasp about our nomination. 
• When the final nomination was complete and we were ready to submit it, we used the cut-and-paste feature to 
  collect all our words in a word processing file so we had the text available for other writing projects. 

We hope you find our thoughts and observations useful. We felt overwhelmed at times but can tell you that the 
nomination system worked and with advance planning, we think we told a pretty good story about our byway and 
the qualities of our western Great Plains region. Come out and visit us sometime. 

Best of Luck, 

Kurt Reply and Kay Sera 



Driving the Byways 
Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway (New Mexico) 

PHOTO: In December, the spirit of yesteryear lives on in Madrid with a Holiday Open House and the 
lighting of the town. Photo by Marcia Reifman Studio in Madrid. 

Byway Length: 
61.2 miles 

Designation: 
1996 - New Mexico Scenic & Historic Byway 
2000 - National Scenic Byway 

Unique Features: 

Running along the east side 
of the Sandia Mountains, the 
Turquoise Trail is the scenic way 
to drive between the high country 
of Santa Fe and the desert of 
Albuquerque. Travelers see 
15,000 square miles of central 
New Mexico, including Cibola 
National Forest. Visitors can ride 
the Sandia Peak Tramway, the 
world’s longest jig-back tram 
(2.7 miles), to Sandia Peak 
at 10,300 feet to get a wonderful 
view of the Sandia Wilderness 
Area. Favorite byway stops include 
The Museum of Archeology & 
Material Culture, Tijeras Pueblo, 
the unique Tinkertown Museum, 
the Casa Grande Trading Post 
and Turquoise Museum, and 
Sandia Cave. 

The area is rich with history. 
Prehistoric peoples made their 
homes here. Spanish missionaries 
explored the area and battles were 
fought over this land. Outlaws and 
Confederate soldiers camped in 
the area. And Kit Carson 
marched Navajo people along 
the Trail in their “Long Walk” 
to incarceration at Fort Sumner. 
Visitors will drive back into 
history in the “ghost” mining 
towns of Golden, Madrid, and 
Cerrillos, towns that are now 
coming alive with arts, crafts, 
theater, music, museums, 
and restaurants. 

This area contains what is 
probably the oldest mine in 
North America – a turquoise 
mine first worked by native 
people at least 1000 years A.D. 
and later by Spanish, Mexican 
and American miners. Lead 
and silver ore was found, as well 
as turquoise, and the Spaniards 
knew both are found with gold. 
They used Indians as miners, 
hoping for gold. There are 
hundreds of mines in the area, so 
while one mine had turquoise, 
others had gold, or lead, or coal, 
most recently, gravel. 

Outdoor enthusiasts can participate 
in many recreational activities, 
including mountain biking, hiking, 
horseback riding, climbing and 
skiing. The Paa-Ko Ridge Golf 
Course was named “Best New 
Affordable Course In America 
for 2000” by Golf Digest. This 
beautiful, diverse area received 
national attention last year when 
it was featured as an On The 
Road segment during CBS’s 
The Early Show (April 2001). 

Organization: 

The Turquoise Trail Association is 
a 501(c)(6) non-profit association 
formed in 1983 by a group of 
area business owners to promote 
tourism, preservation of scenic 
and historic areas, and overall 
promotion of the Trail as a specific 
destination. As early as the 1950s 
and 1960s, the Albuquerque 
Chamber of Commerce was 
heavily publicizing the region. 

There’s a nice informality about 
the 40-member, all-volunteer 
Association that reflects the 
diversity of people who live and 
work along the byway. Monthly 
business meetings are combined 
with potluck suppers that are 
held in local B&Bs, in backyards, 
and members’ homes. Byway 
volunteer Larry Valtelhas 
explained, “The food is terrific! 
We usually keep eating and 
drinking until we get a quorum 
(five board members). After that, 
we conduct our business.” 

Full membership in the 
Association ($250 annual fee) 
provides a newsletter, the right 
to vote on important byway 
issues, inclusion in marketing 
and promotional initiatives, and 
“the chance to meet friendly 
people,” and “the opportunity 
to make a difference in the 
byway community.” Association 
members receive a business 
listing in the Turquoise Trail 
brochure and on the organization’s 
Web site. 

Projects: 

Although projects change each 
year, the Turquoise Trail can 
point to a number of significant 
accomplishments: 

• In addition to the detailed 
  Corridor Management Plan, the 
  byway has assembled a “Tourism 
  Asset Inventory” that records 
  over 200 assets and resources 
  (by location, visitor support 
  category, visitor activity, and 
  intrinsic quality type). Each 
  resource has been photographed 
  and documented. 

• An extensive Web site 
  (www.turquoisetrail.org) 
  that tracks about 500 visitors 
  per week. 

• Production of a popular byway 
  brochure/map that is available 
  across the state of New Mexico 
  and in El Paso, Texas. Over 
  100,000 copies were distributed 
  in 2000. 

• Success in obtaining grants 
  from the State of New Mexico 
  State and the National Scenic 
  Byways Program. 

• Continuing efforts to manage the 
  growth in an area increasingly 
  threatened by development. 

• An annual auction where guests 
  can buy some of the most unique 
  items in America—some say the 
  world—that have been donated 
  by Association members! 

For more information, contact: 

Carla Ward 
Turquoise Trail Assn. 
P.O. Box 303 
121 Sandia Crest Road 
Sandia Park, NM 87047 
Phone (505) 281-5233 
Fax (505) 286-9335 
tinker4u@tinkertown.com 


Buffalo Nations: American Indian Tourism 
Conference a Success 

IMAGE: American Indian Tourism Conference poster

Bismarck, North Dakota 
provided the ideal setting 
for the third annual American 
Indian Tourism Conference 
held on September 10-12 and 
titled, “Buffalo Nations.” Tribal 
representatives, including chairpersons, 
committee members, tribal officers, 
tourism officials, as well as numerous State and 
Federal agencies heard from a 
host of speakers covering a wide 
range of Indian Tourism topics. 

The conference drew attendees 
from across the United States 
and represented tribal interests 
from Alaska, New York, 
Florida, Minnesota, North and 
South Dakota, and many other 
states. Topics ranged from the 
development of tour packages, 
the infrastructure needs of tourism 
projects, funding opportunities, 
and increased support by 
foundations, to name a few. 

SIDEBAR: One of the major Indian tourism 
topics discussed was the need to 
emphasize the authenticity of 
p roducts and tourism-related 
exhibits within the Country. 

Of special interest to the Byway 
community, a session on the 
highway trust fund and the 
support of tribal interests was 
presented by Edward Hall, 
Transportation Specialist with 
the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 
Washington, D. C. and Jeanne 
Westphal of the Arizona 
Department of Transportation. 
Henry Hanka, Byway Specialist 
at the Resource Center, also 
contributed to this session. 
Across the United States, twelve 
of the 81 National Scenic 
Byways have either American 
Indian Reservation lands 
adjacent to them or within 
close proximity. The Native 
American Scenic Byway in 
South Dakota is a fine example 
of a byway program that traces 
the history of the Sioux through 
the cultural, historical and 
archaeological sites located 
along its 101 miles. 

Throughout the three day 
conference, several other key 
updates were given on various 
topics, including the Lewis and 
Clark Bicentennial celebration, 
the National Park Service 
funding update and the United 
States Forest Service tourism 
project. A major Indian tourism 
topic discussed was the need to 
emphasize the authenticity 
of Indian products and 
tourism-related exhibits within 
the Country. Entertainment 
was provided by groups from 
Mexico City, Alaska and the 
Dakotas. Each performed 
wonderful traditional Native 
American dances. 

It was evident that the Annual 
Tourism Conference was a great 
success. Even as the attendees 
were horrified and saddened 
by the events of September 11, 
the Conference proceeded in a 
dignified, professional manner 
with time for reflection. The 
Conference Committee organizers 
should be extremely proud of 
this recent event and we in the 
Byway Community look forward 
to next year’s conference in 
Juneau, Alaska. 



Byways Are a State Fair Winner

It was a hot attraction at this 
year’s fair. Over 5,000 people 
visited the scenic byways booth 
at the Illinois State Fair held 
August 10-19, 2001 in 
Springfield, Illinois. The Illinois 
Department of Transportation 

PHOTO: Over 5,000 people visited the scenic byways booth 
at the Illinois State Fair held August 10-19, 2001 
in Springfield, Illinois. 
Photo by Lauren Niepert, FHWA, Illinois Division 


(IDOT) constructed an 8’ x 8’ 
display, showing large byway maps, 
photographs of main attractions, 
short byway narratives, and byway 
trailblazing signs. IDOT shared a 
large space with Midwest Living 
magazine, which featured the 
Illinois scenic byways in its 
summer issue. Fairgoers could 
sign up for a free subscription 
to Midwest Living and a chance 
to win a gift basket of cookbooks 
and other goodies. 

The five nationally designated 
Illinois scenic byways took turns 
manning the booth. Each byway 
group spent one or two days at the 
fair. In addition, Midwest Living 
staff spent time chatting with 
visitors to collect information on 
travel preferences and experiences. 
Lyle Krueger, Illinois National 
Road, observed that the Illinois 
Scenic Byways brochure was a 
popular item. “Everyone made a 
beeline to pick up a brochure. I 
moved the brochure several times 
to see if the location made a 
difference. Wherever we put it, 
people when straight for it. It was 
like a magnet,” he said. 

PHOTO: Besides corn dogs and cheese curds, fairgoers could pick up information on scenic byways at 
the 2001 Illinois State Fair. Illinois scenic byway groups staffed a popular booth for ten days of 
the fair. Photo by Lauren Niepert, FHWA, Illinois Division 


Folks could also pick up over 30 
different supplemental pieces of 
information. The byways and 
their Convention and Visitors 
Bureaus provided visitors guides, 
special events flyers, individual 
byway brochures, and major 
tourism attraction brochures. 
The Illinois Great River Road 
distributed a kids’ coloring book. 

Some of the sign images on the 
display were so popular, they 
“disappeared” towards the end 
of the fair. IDOT plans to replace 
the stolen pieces and put the 
display in the IDOT lobby for 
several weeks. After that, it will 
be available for use by individual 
byway groups. 



Ideas for Better Byways…By Byways


Action Items from the National 
Conference Town Meeting 

Editor’s Note: The 2001 National 
Conference in Portland, Oregon, 
included a “Town Meeting” 
brainstorming and discussion 
session. The following list of 
suggestions is based on the 
commentary we received there. 

Action items for Byways: 

• Work with “out of the box” 
  ideas to generate interest in 
  the byway program (reach 
  out to schools, senior 
  groups, scout groups). 

• Write a letter to the editor 
  of your local paper, highlighting 
  the impacts of the byway in your community. 

• Expand your byway marketing 
  efforts by creating an informative, 
  easy-access Web site. 

• Get the word out about scenic 
  byways to local organizations 
  that have national ties, such 
  as Good Sam Clubs, National 
  Public Radio, AAA, AARP, etc. 

• Involve Chambers of 
  Commerce along with the 
  Convention and Visitors 
  Bureau in your area for 
  byway work. 

• Work with Native American 
  tribes and historical, 
  cultural and environmental 
  organizations. 

• Develop relationships with 
  area attraction representatives, 
  office of tourism and 
  tour operators. 

• Include state and national 
  land management agencies 
  in your byway community 
  (i.e. State Parks, National 
  Parks and the United States 
  Forest Service) 

• Coordinate meetings with 
  byways within your state for 
  information sharing.
 
• Put the www.byways.org 
  Web site address and 
  America’s Byways logo on 
  your byway brochures to 
  spread the word about 
  the program. 


Off the Shelf

Now available on the Internet!

Lake Champlain Wayside Exhibit Manual 
wwwlcbp.org/wayside 

The 250-mile Lake Champlain 
Byways (New York and Vermont) 
were the centerpieces for 
unifying a bi-state region around 
America’s sixth-largest freshwater 
lake. The comprehensive, grass-
roots approach to promote the 
region as a single destination 
featured a corridor management 
plan, a video for local officials 
and organizations, and a wayside 
exhibit manual to help local 
groups develop interpretive 
signs. The 16-page wayside 
exhibit manual includes 
guidelines and illustrations 
on planning, designing and 
fabricating wayside exhibits 
using a template that was 
created for the Lake Champlain 
Basin Program. The project 
received a 2001 “The Road 
Beckons: Best Practices for 
Byways” award from the 
American Association of State 
Highway and Transportation 
Officials (AASHTO). 

The National Transportation 
Enhancement Clearinghouse’s Fall 
2001 newsletter 
is devoted to ways in which the 
TE program and the National 
Scenic Byways Program can 
work together. The newsletter is 
available online at 
www.enhancements.org/ 
connections/vol4no4.pdf 

Looking for grant writing help? 
Check out this online tutorial 
for grant writing at 
www.treelink.org/grants 

Byways researchers: 
A newly launched site for 
historic and cultural resource 
preservation research 
provides a good deal of 
relevant information for 
byways doing work “on the 
ground.” Eventually, the site 
will offer advertising, but for 
now it’s purely informative. 
www.preservationdirectory.com 

Three New Titles from AASHTO: 
Transportation Library Essentials 
Note: To order, call 1-800-231-3475 
or point your browser to 
www.transportation.org/publicationsbookstore.nsf 
to purchase online at www.transportation.org. 
Remember, when you order these 
publications from AASHTO, there 
are NO SHIPPING CHARGES! 

The Materials Book-Standard Specifications 
for Transportation Materials and Methods 
of Sampling and Testing, 
21st Edition. 3,470 pages. 2001. 
The two-volume “Materials 
Book” contains more than 
400 materials specifications 
and test methods commonly 
used in the construction of 
highway facilities. 
Item Number: E5-HM-21 
Price Per Copy: $399.00 
AASHTO Members: $319.00 

The Green Book -A Policy on Geometric 
Design of Highways and Streets,4th Edition 
The new “Green Book,” the 
first since 1994, contains the 
latest design practices in 
universal use as the standard 
for highway geometric design 
and features the following 
improvements and additions: 

• Uses dual units (metric and 
  US customary) throughout; 
• Larger format provides easier 
  to read text and graphics; 
• Is available on CD-ROM 
  (non-network version); 
• Includes designs that comply 
  with the Americans with 
  Disabilities Act; 
• Discusses the new AASHTO 
  Bicycle Guide and the proposed new AASHTO 
  Pedestrian Guide 
• Incorporates research from 
  NCHRP Reports 375, 383, 400, 
  420, and 439. 

Book Edition 
Item Number: E5-GDHS-4 
Price Per Copy: $102.00 
AASHTO Members: $80.00 

CD-ROM Edition 
Item Number: E5-GDHS-4-CD 
Price Per Copy: $165.00 
AASHTO Members: $130.00 

Book and CD-ROM Combination 
Item Number: E5-GDHS-4-COM 
Price Per Copy: $248.00 
AASHTO Members: $195.00 

Manual on Uniform Tr a ffic Control 
Devices (MUTCD), Millennium Edition 
The new “Millenium Edition” 
represents major revisions, 
in the works since 1988, in 
a document that has set 
standards for traffic-control 
devices nationwide since the 
1920s. It is published by a 
partnership consisting of 
AASHTO, the American Traffic 
Safety Services Association, 
the Institute of Traffic 
Engineers, under the aegis 
of the Federal Highway 
Administration.It is available 
in either looseleaf format with 
binder or perfect bound. 

Looseleaf Binder, 
Item Number: E5-MUTCD-3 
Price Per Copy: $145.00 
AASHTO Members: $120.00 

Perfect Bound 
Item Number: E5-MUTCD-4 
Price Per Copy: $100.00 
AASHTO Members: $75.00 


National Road Alliance Fosters 
New Interest in an Old Road 

“Balancing the Protection and 
Promotion of Historic Roads” 
was the focus of a conference 
sponsored by the National Road 
Alliance on July 27-28, 2001 in 
Cumberland, Maryland. Over 
100 people gathered at Rocky 
Gap Lodge & Golf Resort to 
learn about: 

• Context-Sensitive Design 
• Using Geographic Information 
  Systems (GIS) to Organize 
  Byway Resources 
• Restoring and Reconstructing 
  Historic Resources 
• Maintaining the Character of 
  Communities 
• Building and Sustaining
  Grassroots Organizations
• Historic Road Marketing
  Techniques
• Managing a Road with
  Historic Origins
• Historic Preservation Law 
  and Design Guidelines

Conference attendees also had the 
opportunity to take tours on several 
heritage trails in western Maryland. 

The highway that became the 
National Road was built through 
Maryland, Pennsylvania, West 
Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and 
Illinois. Originally called the 
Cumberland Road, the National 
Road was the first federally 
planned and funded highway in 
the United States. In 1806, 
President Thomas Jefferson 
signed legislation to build the 
nation’s first interstate highway, 
linking the eastern seaboard with 
the western frontier. People 
flooded the highway, bringing 
their customs, languages, 
building styles, religions, and 
farming practices. National 
Road communities today reflect 
the cultural diversity of those 
who chose to make their homes 
along this historic transportation 
corridor. Traveling the National 
Road is like traveling through 
our nation’s history. 

The National Road Alliance is a 
national nonprofit membership 
organization working to identify, 
preserve, interpret, promote, and 
improve access to the entire length 
of the six-state National Road. The 
National Road is designated as a 
National Scenic Byway in Illinois 
and Indiana. Efforts to pursue 
designation for the entire route are 
currently underway.

PHOTOS: Horse-drawn wagons carried conference attendees to a 
barbeque dinner in downtown Cumberland, Maryland. Costumed 
pioneer walkers, horseback riders, surreys, and vintage cars 
joined the wagon train. It took about three hours to travel 
nine miles along the historic National Road route. 

A few historic milestones are surviving remnants of the old 
National Road. At one time, almost 800 milestones and mileposts 
marked the trail. In some places, replica mile-stones (such as 
this one) have been erected. 

With original tools in hand, Lyle Krueger described the work 
of a 19th-century road surveyor at the National Road Alliance 
conference. Lyle’s great-great-grandfather helped survey a 
portion of the National Road. Lyle is a historian, a former 
Illinois Dept. of Transportation employee, and a member 
of the Illinois National Road Association. 


Wisconsin’s Scenic Byways Program Prepares to 
“Hit the Road” 

Following over a year’s worth 
of efforts, the Wisconsin 
Department of Transportation 
(WisDOT), with key input from 
a citizens advisory group, is close 
to implementing a statewide 
Scenic Byways Program that will 
preserve, promote and enhance 
some of Wisconsin’s most unique 
and scenic roadways. 

PHOTO: A rainbow shimmers over a farm near La Crosse. 

In 1999, state legislation passed 
enabling WisDOT to develop a 
state byways program. Since 
then, with major assistance from 
the Scenic Byways Advisory 
Group, WisDOT has been 
developing criteria and a process 
for designating its state scenic 
byways. The advisory group 
held its final meeting and 
conducted a field test of the 
proposed program guidelines 
September 18, 2001. A national 
scenic byway designation has 
already been granted for WIS 35 
(Great River Road), which runs 
parallel to the Mississippi River 
in western Wisconsin. 

A Dedicated Advisory Group 

Jane Carrola, WisDOT’s State 
Byways Coordinator, lauded the 
advisory group members for their 
dedicated voluntary attendance 
at byway meetings and for their 
efforts toward creating a solid 
proposal of program guidelines. 
“Developing the proposed program 
guidelines re p resents a significant 
milestone, and hopefully, full 
implementation is just around 
the corner,” Carrola said. “I want 
to commend the advisory group 
members for their interest, 
enthusiasm, and most of all, for 
their astute comments and 
suggestions. Their hard work 
has resulted in a solid foundation 
on which to build Wisconsin’s 
Scenic Byways Program.” 
The advisory panel included 
members from Wisconsin Rural 
Partners; Bay-Lake Regional 
Planning Commission; City of 
Bayfield; Transportation 
Development Association of 
Wisconsin; WisDOT’s Rustic 
Roads Program Board; Federal 
Highway Administration; State 
Historical Society; Motor 
Carriers Association; Citizens for 
a Better Environment; AAA 
Wisconsin; the Wisconsin State 
Legislature; state departments of 
Commerce, Tourism, and Natural 
Resources; and WisDOT planning, 
landscape architecture and 
engineering staff. WisDOT also 
hired Carter & Burgess Inc. to 
serve as scenic byways consultant 
in the creation of the program. 

PHOTO: Striking colors along the shores of the 
mighty Mississippi River make the Great 
River Road National Scenic Byway a perfect 
fall drive. This famous route on Highway 35 
stretches 250 miles along Wisconsin’s 
western border from Kieler to Prescott. 
Midwest Living readers recently voted this 
route the “Prettiest Road for a Drive.” 

Two-Step Process 

Wisconsin’s proposed Scenic 
Byways Program would require 
applicants to complete a two-
step process: A Pre-Screening 
Form, followed by a more 
formal Application. In the 
Pre-Screening Form, applicants 
would provide basic information 
about their candidate byway, 
its length, scenic qualities, and 
any distractions to the visual 
experience that may exist. Based 
on this initial information and 
a review by the local WisDOT 
district office, a Byways Advisory 
Committee, appointed by the 
WisDOT Secretary, would make 
a recommendation on whether 
or not the candidate byway 
should proceed with a formal 
Application for designation. 
If the applicant receives the 
go-ahead, the byway supporters 
would complete an Application 
that requires more detailed 
information about the candidate 
byway, a mile-by-mile inventory, 
resolutions of support from local 
governments along the corridor and 
a basic Corridor Management Plan. 

“By simplifying the initial 
application process, we’re hoping 
to encourage local citizens’ 
involvement in Wisconsin’s new 
scenic byways effort,” Carrola 
said. Under Wisconsin’s proposed 
guidelines, a scenic byway would 
be a state trunk highway segment 
of at least 30 miles in length, 
that combines scenic qualities 
with other cultural or recreational 
attributes. Approval of the 
Pre-Screening Form does not 
guarantee designation, but does 
indicate that a candidate byway 
has qualities that may merit a 
designation, if all other factors 
are met (i.e., a detailed resource 
inventory, local government 
sponsorship, CMP development). 

Field-Tested Guidelines 

In developing the program 
guidelines, the advisory group 
participated in a field review 
to test program materials and 
determine if any revisions were 
necessary or whether any shortcomings 
needed to be addressed. 
The field test, held in Door 
County, Wisconsin, involved 
three mock applications. Each 
member of the advisory panel 
voted on the Pre-Screening 
Forms for the mock corridors 
and determined if, using the 
program’s criteria, they would 
warrant approval to move to 
Step Two of the process. Next, 
advisory group members were 
given mock applications and 
mile-by-mile inventories to 
review. The ultimate goal of 
the field test was to ensure the 
materials prepared by byway 
applicants provide adequate 
information necessary to make a 
determination on scenic quality 
and merit as a state designated 
byway. Carrola said Door County 
was chosen as the site for the 
field review because of its 
accessibility to the majority 
of advisory group members, 
its popularity as a travel 
destination, and the variety 
of scenic and recreational 
resources in the area.The 
next step involves briefing 
WisDOT staff, upper management, 
including the WisDOT 
Board of Directors (comprised 
of the department secretary 
and division administrators). 
After the review phase, the 
administrative rule making 
process can be completed, 
meaning Wisconsin’s Scenic 
Byways Program – years in 
the making – will finally be 
ready to hit the road. 

For more information: 

1-800-658-9424; or visit 
www.travelwisconsin.com; 
www.wigreatriverroad.org  

PHOTO: Wisconsin’s fall season draws visitors of 
all shapes, sizes ... and species. Marshes, 
wetlands and nature preserves statewide are 
home to various creatures, including hundreds 
of thousands of migrating waterfowl, offering 
spectacular wildlife experiences for all ages. 
The sounds of more than 250,000 migrating 
Canada geese fill the air during fall at Horicon 
Marsh in Dodge County. In addition to being 
the largest freshwater marsh of its type in the 
United States, the marsh is also home to more 
than 265 species of birds, including egrets, 
blue heron, sandhill cranes and tundra swans, 
as well as deer, coyote, fox and mink. 



Scenic America Names Last Chance Landscapes 2001 

Some of America’s most beautiful 
communities and countryside 
face immediate threats from 
damaging outdoor advertising 
and haphazard development. 

Last Chance Landscapes of 
America the Beautiful 2001, 
Scenic America’s annual list of 10 
of the most endangered places, 
shows that communities across 
the country face continuous 
threats from public and private 
actions that destroy vistas and 
community character. 

“Last Chance Landscapes 
2001 illustrates the tremendous 
challenge of protecting the 
beauty of our communities 
and countryside,” said Meg 
Maguire, President of Scenic 
America, a national conservation 
organization. “Growth is 
inevitable; ugliness is not. 
True patriotism includes saving 
the places we love.” 

Chosen in a nationwide 
competition, the 10 Last 
Chance Landscapes of America 
the Beautiful 2001 include: 

• The State of Oregon 
  (including the Central Oregon 
  Region and Wallowa Lake, 
  Joseph, Oregon) 

• Washington, DC 

• The Marsh Islands 
  of Coastal Georgia 

• Red Rocks Scenic Road 
  (AZ 179), Sedona, Arizona 

• Narragansett Bay, 
  Rhode Island 

• Coyote Valley, 
  San Jose, California
 
• St. Croix Valley Scenic Corridor, 
  Minnesota and Wisconsin 

• Harpeth River Valley, 
  Williamson County, Tennessee 

• Lynville Mountain Landscape, 
  Roanoke, Virginia 

• Woodberry Watershed Forest, 
  Baltimore, Maryland 

Details of these Last Chance 
Landscapes of America the 
Beautiful 2001 a re in the report. 
For more information on Scenic 
America, visit www.scenic.org. 


Opportunities 
Scenic Byway Resource Specialist

America’s Byways Resource 
Center is looking for an 
energetic, professional and 
experienced person with back-
ground in community planning, 
tourism, marketing, or related 
professions to work as a Scenic 
Byway Resource Specialist. 
National Scenic Byways are 
designated for their outstanding 
scenic, historic, cultural, natural, 
or recreational qualities to 
be enjoyed by the traveling 
public. (www.byways.org) 

Responsibilities include assisting 
local communities in planning, 
managing, and promoting 
scenic byways; developing 
and providing training and 
workshops; networking byway 
communities with federal, 
state and local agencies and 
organizations; and organizing 
communities along scenic 
byways. Significant national 
travel is required. 

Preferred skills include customer 
service, excellent oral and 
written communication, ability 
to connect resources with 
people, grant writing, visioning 
and goal setting, teamwork, 
and building organization 
structure and leadership. 

Preferred experiences include 
working with community 
groups and with various levels 
of government and private 
organizations; professional 
work experience at the 
multi-state or national level; 
work in planning, tourism, 
marketing, transportation, 
historic preservation, and 
other related professions. 

Advanced degree in planning, 
tourism or related field is 
preferred with a minimum of 
5 years professional experience. 

Position is open until filled. 

Please submit cover letter and 
resume by January 11, 2002. 

Human Resources Manager 
America’s Byways 
Resource Center 

Arrowhead Regional 
Development Commission 
221 West First Street 
Duluth, MN 55802 
Fax: 218-529-7592 

Equal Opportunity Employer 



2001 Calendar
Send calendar entries by the 5th of each month 
tocenter@byways.org 

NOVEMBER 
November 30 -December 4, 2001 
AASHTO Annual Meeting 
Fort Worth, Texas
For more information, please call:
(202) 624-8489 or hannahw@aashto.org 

DECEMBER 
December 18-19, 2001 
10th Anniversary Celebration of the 
National Scenic Byways Program 
Willard Inter-Continental Hotel 
Washington,D.C. 
For more information, please call: 
Derrick Crandall 
American Recreation Coalition 
(202) 682-9530 

JANUARY 
January 9, 2002 
Conference Call for Byway Leaders 
America’s Byways Resource Center 
For more information, please call: 
(800) 429-9297, ext. 5 or center@byways.org 

January 20-23, 2002 
Heritage Development Course 
College of Charleston, South Carolina 
Sponsored by the Alliance for 
National Heritage Are a s 
For more information, please visit: 
www.cofc.edu/-heritage 

January 29-31, 2002 
Minnesota Governor’s Conference on Tourism 
Duluth, Minnesota
For more information, please call:
(800) 657-3637 or jan.sawinski@state.mn.us 

MARCH 
March 6-8, 2002 
2002 Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism 
Chicago,Illinois 
For more information, please visit 
www.visitillinois.org or call (800) 657-3637 

APRIL 
April 11-14, 2002 
Preserving the Historic Road in America 
Third Biennial Conference on Historic Roads 
Omaha, Nebraska 
For more information, please call: 
(202) 588-6204 or www.historicroads.org 

SEPTEMBER 
September 28-October 1, 2002 
AASHTO Annual Meeting 
Opryland Hotel 
Nashville, Tennessee 
For more information, please call: 
(202) 624-8489 or hannahw@aashto.org 

OCTOBER 
October 8-13, 2002 
56th National Preservation Conference 
Sponsored by the National Trust 
for Historic Preservation 
Cleveland, Ohio 
www.nationaltrust.org 

Oct. 26-29, 2002 
National Land Trust Rally 2002 
Sponsored by the Land Trust Alliance 
Austin, Texas 

NOVEMBER 
November 2002 
National Interpreters Workshop 
Sponsored by the National Association 
for Interpretation 
Virginia Beach, Virginia 
For more information, please call: 
(888)900-8283 

2003
SEPTEMBER 
Sept. 30-October 5, 2003 
57th National Preservation Conference 
Sponsored by the National Trust 
for Historic Preservation 
Denver, Colorado 
www.nationaltrust.org 

OCTOBER 
October 11-15, 2003 
AASHTO Annual Meeting 
Anchorage, Alaska
For more information, please call:
(202) 624-8489 or hannahw@aashto.org 


America’s Byways 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.