America's Byways®WHAT'S NEW
REMINDER: FY2008 National Scenic Byways Program Grants Schedule
April 11, 2008
Applications due to FHWA division offices
May 9, 2008
Applications due to FHWA Headquarters
SF-424 form due to Grants.gov
Many State and Indian tribe scenic byways programs have submission deadlines prior to April 11 to facilitate review and prioritization of projects. For more information about specific deadlines, please contact your byway coordinator at http://www.bywaysonline.org/contacts/.
Frequently Asked Questions
During February and March we conducted a series of conference calls with Byway Coordinators and Division representatives to discuss FY 2008 National Scenic Byways Program grants. To view a list of frequently asked questions and answers, please see "What We’ve Heard From You" at http://www.bywaysonline.org/grants/articles/73646.
Section 4(f) Final Rule
On March 12, 2008, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) published a Section 4(f) Final Rule in the Federal Register to help clarify the 4(f) approval process and simplify its regulatory requirements. Section 4(f) is a statute that protects public parks, recreational areas, wildlife and waterfowl refuges, and public and private historical sites from use by proposed transportation projects. The final rule makes five principal changes to the Section 4(f) regulation: (1) Defines "easible and prudent," (2) outlines clear criteria for selecting the alternative that causes the least overall harm, (3) defines and implements the procedures for determining a de minimis impact, (4) updates exceptions to Section 4(f) requirements, and (5) clarifies the option of applying a Programmatic Section 4(f) Evaluation. More information on Section 4(f) and the final rule can be found at: http://environment.fhwa.dot.gov/projdev/pd5sec4f.asp.
ON THE WEB
Authorizing Yourself as an AOR on Grants.gov
We've received a few calls from people who are having their SF-424s rejected because they are not authorized by their organizations as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Click here to access the article "AOR and E-Biz POC: What's the Difference?" to answer some questions about the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and the E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC) portion of the Grants.gov registration process. This information is also available in the Grants section of the Bywaysonline.org website under "Useful Information."
Updated Transportation Enhancement Website
FHWA has reworked its Transportation Enhancement (TE) Activities website to make it easier to use. Some of the changes include having the TE Guidance page open to a page with an introduction to the guidance and supplemental guidance documents; and moving navigation bars to the top, allowing documents to be printed on fewer pages. The updated website can be found at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/te/.
SPOTLIGHT ON BYWAYS
Seaway Trail Revitalizes Brand
A National Scenic Byways Program grant through the New York State Department of Transportation to Seaway Trail, Inc. is funding the nonprofit organization's development of best practices for positioning the intrinsic resources and revitalizing the 30-year-old brand of the Seaway Trail. A New York City-based consultant is assisting the nonprofit corporation and its sister foundation in identifying the essential qualities of the Seaway Trail byway and optimal contact points for driving consumer interest in traveling the 518-mile byway that parallels the freshwater shoreline of New York and Pennsylvania.
For more information contact Teresa Mitchell at teresa@seawaytrail.org
EXTRA! EXTRA!
American Greetings 2009 Harley-Davidson's Day-at-a-Time Calendar
For the first time, the annual American Greetings Harley-Davidson Calendar features 49 America's Byways®. These byways were chosen by American Greetings and H-D as part of their Great Drives efforts. Calendars will be available at retail stores by August 2008. For more information, contact Patricia McNally at 202-366-9766 or pmcnally@byways.org.
For a list of America's Byways® included in this calendar, click here.
New Appalachian Regional Commission Driving Map
The Appalachian Regional Commission's (www.ARC.gov) driving maps, in partnership with National Geographic, are out and include the America’s Byways® logo. Maps can be found on http://www.visitappalachia.com and will be included in the April issue of National Geographic magazine reaching more than 865,000 subscribers nationwide. Click on the "Route Guide" graphic in the middle of the screen for one way to browse the featured routes. Certain printable routes feature our America's Byways® logo!
