Prior Projects
Good Example of a Prior Projects Summary (From Development of an Indian Tribe Scenic Byways Program Application):
There is no relationship between this project and previously funded National Scenic Byways grant projects. The State of Oklahoma received a Scenic Byways grant in 1999, which was primarily seed money to develop, and print the Oklahoma Scenic Byway guidelines and application packet, as well as some public meetings with potential scenic byway sponsors.
The proposed work relates to other multi-year work plans of some of the byway leaders as follows:
The Osage Tribal Tourism Program was funded by an ANA SEDS grant in 2002. From the grant, the Tourism Program has continued under Tribal funding. The outcome of the grant was a Tourism Plan that identifies long range goals and objectives for tribal tourism. A major objective of the Tourism Program has been to find a means to tie together all the significant tourist attractions of the Osage Reservation. The scenic byways program and the development of the Osage Nation Heritage Trail will accomplish that objective.
The City of Pawhuska has a twenty year Comprehensive Plan. The Pawhuska Comprehensive Plan 1999-2020 (page 4) states as a General Goal "The City shall focus on increasing the existing and future economic potential of tourism based on the unique historical and cultural elements of the community and develop the recreational resources such as Lake Pawhuska and Bluestem Lake, as major elements of economic development."
The Osage Nation in partnership with Osage County is developing a Long Range Transportation Plan which will be complete in the spring of 2006. This plan is a very comprehensive analysis of all state highways and county roads on the Osage Reservation/ Osage County. The plan will address issues such as safety, road conditions and road signage. It will include traffic impact studies for designated highly congested areas. This study will contribute to the development of the byway route.
Osage County Tourism Board was started in 2004 with a seed grant from the Osage County Industrial Authority to promote tourism on the Osage Reservation/ County. The Authority recognizes tourism as a major economic development tool for the Reservation/County, and it is the third largest industry in Oklahoma. The Tourism Board has created a website, www.visittheOsage.com which provides details on attractions, recreation sites, lodging and meals on the Osage Reservation/County. The Tourism Board is currently working on a base map of the Reservation/County with the Indian Nation Council of Governments, INCOG, which locates all the attractions of the Reservation/County. This work will provide a preliminary starting place for the Resource Inventory for the byway project.
The Osage County Industrial Authority is currently partnering with the Osage County Commissioners to develop a full Comprehensive Land Use Plan for the entire County/Reservation. The plan is being developed by the Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG), a sub-state planning district and is expected to be completed by January 2007. This plan will address land use and particularly the preservation of rural areas of the County where primary economic development activities relate to tourism.
The Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG) is completing a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for Osage County/Reservation which takes into account the 7 target industry clusters of which tourism and entertainment is one the most important clusters. The CEDS will serve as a guide for economic development in Osage County/Reservation, and support the importance of the development of the byway.
The Pawhuska Community Foundation has funded and produced a "Self-guided Auto Tour of the Tallgrass Prairie", narrated by Bill Kurtis. The Foundation recorded many local voices of cowboys, Osage Indians and others who tell the story of the Tallgrass Prairie on the drive from Pawhuska to the Prairie Reserve. A companion CD entitled "More Memories of the Tallgrass Prairie" is also available.
This is a good example because it:
- Provides the reviewer with a larger context for the byways program, the groundwork that’s been laid that will support continuing coordination between initiatives and help ensure the sustainability of the byways program
- Highlights materials that have been developed that will complement the themes to be developed by the program (i.e., the self guided audio tour and companion CD that provides an oral history of the Tallgrass Prairie).
- Takes advantage of the space available to provide the reviewer with additional information on local initiatives that will support and complement the proposed project
