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.
An urgent call to action is going out to all byways to step up to this challenge today (Deadline: ASAP). Send letters, make calls, contact your legislators and ask them to act.
The Senate began its floor consideration of MAP-21 on February 9, 2012. There will be extensive debate and amendments on the legislation, which would establish a two year national surface transportation program, far shorter than the normal 5-6 year program. The Senate version is similar in spending to the House version for those two years, but is significantly different in programs, length and funding strategy.
For the National Scenic Byways Program, MAP-21 contains major disappointments. It discontinues the technical assistance program operated under a cooperative agreement by the America's Byways Resource Center. It also eliminates any funding set-aside for a national competitive grant program. Further, it authorizes states to use funding under the general Transportation Mobility Program for byways "projects," but not programs - and all byways projects must now compete with the full range of eligible transportation projects. However, the authority to designate byways and provide support for the National Scenic Byways Program is unchanged.
The House measure, which was approved after an acrimonious full-committee mark-up early in the morning on February 3, is far worse. HR 7 repeals the National Scenic Byways Program - designation, funding and technical assistance. The status of the current remarkable collection of 150 All-American Roads and National Scenic Byways would be very uncertain, just as the nation is recognizing the value of parks, byways and other portions of the Great Outdoors to the economy, especially in growing international tourism and its promise of jobs.
It is vital for byways program leaders to do two things:
1) act immediately to contact members of the US Senate and urge each Senator to speak out in favor of scenic byways during the floor debate, and to engage the floor managers of the bill (Majority and Minority) in recorded discussions to underscore that MAP-21 envisions a continuation of the National Scenic Byways Program. Deadline: February 14.
2) act within 10 days to contact members of the US House and urge each to take actions to remove the repeal of the National Scenic Byways Program from HR 7. Note that stripped of the grant and America's Byways Resources Center provisions, the continuation of the program will be virtually cost-free. Deadline: February 20.
Download our action letter template as a pdf document or as a word document.
Supporting documents:
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 mission of the National Scenic Byway Foundation is to foster cooperative opportunities that will grow and sustain byways for future generations. The vision of the Foundation is that Byways will be recognized and valued worldwide for their distinctive experiences, stories and treasured places.
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
For more information about the America's Byways® Resource Center, please see bywaysresourcecenter.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.