SCENIC BYWAY GRANT APPLICATION DEADLINE IS APRIL 2

The Federal Highway Administration, in cooperation with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will be accepting grant applications for the National Scenic Byway Program until April 2 or April 16 for Tribal projects. Of most relevance to historic preservation interests are projects that can be submitted in the Byway Facilities (including interpretive facilities), Resource Protection (includes purchase of property and protection/enhancement of historic, cultural, and archaeological resources), and Interpretive Information (tourguides, websites, etc.) categories. Other grant categories include corridor management planning, access to recreation, marketing programs, and safety improvements.complete information about the program including guidance documents, application forms, and contact information for questions. Washington State has 27 designated state scenic and recreational highways ranging from the Cape Flattery Tribal Byway at Makah to the Palouse Scenic Byway in Whitman and Spokane Counties. An important goal of scenic highway designation is "protection of scenic, historical, recreational, cultural, natural, and archaeological resources in an area adjacent to a scenic byway." Washington State is blessed with spectaular scenic highways which comprise over 3,000 miles of the State's designated highway system therefore making access to these highways very easy for much of the state's population base. A good example is the Mountains to Sound Greenway encompassing I-90 from Thorp to Qwest Field. Information from WSDOT indicates that in this grant round, FHWA is looking for projects that have high impact on visitor experience on a byway. Applications also should demonstrate a clear linkage to the corridor management plans that have been written to guide development and management of the byway corridors. A 20% match is required and the match must be documented by the time of the application. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to visit their website for complete information about the program including guidance documents, application forms, and contact information for questions.