Working to preserve and promote America's National Scenic Byways
Working to preserve and promote America's National Scenic Byways
.jpg "Congressman James Oberstar receives an honorary NSB Foundation membership")
The National Scenic Byway Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization originally formed in 2003, has a new mission and vision, as well as a renewed effort to be an active voice in the byway community. The Foundation's Board of Directors will be working closely with FHWA and the America's Byways Resource Center to ensure the Foundation is a strong voice for the Byway community with legislators, national partners and byway stakeholders.
The primary objective of the RBOG program is to promote sustainable economic development in rural communities with exceptional needs. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis. More information.
Completely updated and featuring 25 new drives, this bestselling guide showcases 300 of the greatest scenic drives across the United States. Read the news release.
Urge Your Representative to Co-Sponsor the JOLT Act!
International arrivals around the world are projected to grow by 34 percent from 2010 to 2020, resulting in $1.6 trillion in direct travel spending. This presents an enormous opportunity for nations that choose to embrace it. The U.S. stands to lose out on this opportunity unless we reform our visa process and remove the barriers to legitimate visitors that wish to visit our country, spend their money here, and then return home.
Does designation as one of America's Byways have a quantitative impact on a community's economy? Find out in this article recently published in Public Roads.
The Federal Highway Administration has now released guidance on the Transportation Alternatives Program.
Eligible projects under the Surface Transportation Program and the Transportation Alternatives Program that may have previously been eligible as part of the National Scenic Byways Program include the construction of turnouts, overlooks, and viewing areas; historic preservation and rehabilitation of historic transportation facilities related to a byway; and bicycle and pedestrian facilities along a byway. (23 U.S.C. 101(a)(29), 23 USC 213(b), MAP-21 1101, 1122).
Presented by the National Scenic Byway Foundation
Panelists:
Description:
Many of the training modules, tools, marketing resources and publications developed by the America's Byways Resource Center will continue to be available to the byway community after the Center has closed. This webinar, hosted by the National Scenic Byway Foundation, will introduce you to a new website and links to other websites that will host the information. Learn about how and where to access this information, and hear about some new resources never before available and a few updates to well-known tools. Time for questions and discussion will be provided.
Download and view our new Byways Webinar (This ia a PowerPoint presentation, 8M)
On July 6, 2012, President Obama signed the new transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), which will sustain the Highway Trust Fund and provide States and communities with two years of steady funding to build needed roads, bridges, and transit systems.
Although the National Scenic Byway Program was NOT eliminated, and the designation program still exists within the Federal Highway Administration, there is no direct funding or grant program funds in the new bill for the National Scenic Byway Program. It appears there is some funding eligibility for byways under the new Transportation Alternatives Program, however, the extent of that eligibility is not yet clear. As expected, once it is more clearly worked out, decisions for use of Transportation Alternatives funds will be made at the state level. See this pdf document for more information about Transportation Alternatives.
The Federal Highway Administration has created a website to link to the new bill and provide related resources as they become available. The website can be accessed at www.fhwa.dot.gov/MAP21. You are encouraged you to check back regularly for updated information.
It will take some time to thoroughly decipher the new transportation bill and realize its impact on the byways community. We'll do our best to keep you informed of information as it is made available to us.
The National Scenic Byway Foundation is pleased to assume responsibility for several of the America's Byways Resource Center's initiatives that have been such valuable tools for the byway community. The Resource Center has been an integral part of the success and growth of the National Scenic Byway Program over the years, and the NSB Foundation hopes to carry on the legacies of the Resource Center and the National Scenic Byway Program. We at the NSB Foundation would like to extend our sincerest thanks to Michelle Johnson, Curt Pianalto, and the entire Resource Center staff for all they've done for our byway community.
Now, more than ever, we all need to work together to assure the long-term viability of our byways through preservation, promotion and partnership. There are two ways you can get involved with the future of the National Scenic Byway Program:
We need you on the team! Let's be sure this celebration of our byways continues now and in the future so that our kids and grandkids can enjoy the byways.
Deborah Divine, Co-Executive Director of the National Scenic Byway Foundation (NSBF) Board of Directors, traveled to Sackets Harbor from Salinas, Kansas, March 17 to present the family of the late Teresa Mitchell with the NSBF's first Lifetime Service to Byways Award. See Press Release with photos
Quotes from community leaders, businesses, tourism organizations and other byway stakeholders about the impact of the program may be critical to making a difference in the future of the National Scenic Byway Program. We'd love to hear from you! Send your quotes to info@nsbfoundation.com.
Friends of America's Byways send letters of support for the National Program to Congress.
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The vision of the National Scenic Byway Foundation is that Byways will be recognized and valued worldwide for their distinctive experiences, stories and treasured places. The mission of the Foundation is to provide leadership to empower, strengthen and sustain byways.
The purposes of this Foundation are:
For more information about
America's Byways®, please see
byways.org
For more information about the National Scenic Byway Program of the Federal Highway Administration.
please see bywaysonline.org
Individuals and organizations are encouraged to become members.
The idea of creating a national not-for-profit organization to support scenic byways first surfaced at the 2001 National Scenic Byway Conference. At the 2003 conference in Albuquerque, a group of interested individuals asked for and received input from conference attendees, then filed articles for incorporation and adopted bylaws. The foundation has received its tax-exempt status under section 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Through its unique ability as a not-for-profit and tax-exempt charitable organization, the National Scenic Byway Foundation aids the successful completion of projects that are not otherwise accomplished by Federal Highway Administration, the America's Byways® Resource Center and byway organizations throughout the nation. The Foundation will assist in defining the Byways "brand," having the distinctive collection of America's Byways®, with their stories and treasured places, become as recognized and valued as National Parks, National Forests and National Refuges. The National Scenic Byway Foundation will assist in the current and future development, management, preservation and enhancement of byways through cooperation between units of government, the for-profit, and the not-for-profit sectors.