Byway Projects Database

Project Report

White Pass Scenic Byway Extension Corridor Management Plan

Synopsis The Scenic Byway corridor management plan (CMP) helped set a strong foundation for byway sustainability—building partnerships between agencies and jurisdictions, listening to community concerns and needs, and developing a strategy that emphasized a unique visitor experience and benefits for byway communities.

State: Byway: White Pass National Scenic Byway Category: Planning Project Type: Corridor Management Plan Year Initiated: unknown Year Completed: 2010

Contact Information

White Pass National Scenic Byway http://www.whitepassbyway.com/

Project Description

The White Pass Scenic Byway corridor management plan (CMP) set the stage for early successes on this recently designated National Scenic Byway. Located between National Park and Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument, the byway has long been a gateway to exceptional recreation on adjacent USDA Forest Service lands. Traditionally, byway communities have relied on timber harvesting and processing as the foundation of the local economies. Following drastic reductions in the timber industry, residents looked to recreation and tourism as a strategy to diversify the region’s economic base and enhance quality of life in byway communities. Energized by an award-winning gateway study sponsored by the National Park Service in 2002, stakeholders focused on the scenic byway movement as their strategy for regional tourism and to celebrate the exceptional resources of their home region. Since completion of the CMP, the byway has maintained strong momentum for implementation—maintaining exceptional commitment from byway partners and building a strong track record of byway- related projects to improve the visitor experience and benefit byway communities.

Community Involvement And Public Outreach

First and foremost, local leadership and ownership set the stage for a strong planning process, and community involvement has been the most important factor in the byway’s success and sustainability. The planning process was a close collaboration between the local byway group, the National Park Service and the Forest Service as project sponsors, and it was highly interactive, with broad segments of the general public engaged in every major topic in the plan. Recognizing that many participants were focused more on their own communities than the byway as a whole, the process included resident ambassadors for each town and community-specific design workshops. Often setting up in a local coffee shop or other public setting, the byway group worked to be a visible part of community life. The byway also “piggybacked” onto existing community events to widen awareness and reach residents who might not attend a byway-only workshop.

Partnerships

Partnerships were the heart of the planning process. The byway includes a section of a Forest Service scenic byway and borders the south side of Mount Rainier National Park. With a byway that includes two counties, two national forests, a national park, many communities and a major mountain pass, partnership is the path to long-term success. In an era of radically reduced resources for public land agencies, the National Park Service and Forest Service embraced a new level of partnership with local gateway communities. This partnership has resulted in truly new math: 2 national forests + 1 national park + local agencies and residents = exceptional result. As a result of this partnership, the byway organization was built for sustainability; by not relying too heavily on any individual group to maintain the organization, the byway has been able to leverage a wide range of resources and spread the load to remain active and healthy.

Advancing The Goals Of The Byway’s Corridor Management

Overall byway goals in the CMP included: • Improve the byway visitor experience • Improve the tourism economy of the byway and its communities • Protect byway resources • Develop sustainable byway facilities and organization

Based around key visitor experience themes relating to recreational access and wildlife watching, byway stakeholders have developed marketing campaigns, host training programs, side tours and itineraries linking byway destinations, and capital projects for wayfinding and recreational access. The byway group has been formalized as a 501c3, and it has maintained energy and direction both through the planning process and as an ongoing management entity. In addition to successfully competing for National Scenic Byways Program discretionary grants, the byway has also been successful in attracting lodging tax grants, Forest Service community enhancement grants and transportation enhancements grants. The CMP has provided direction that has resulted in highly effective investments of financial and human capital to benefit byway travelers and residents.

Describe Project’s Innovation

• Exceptional partnership among the byway, National Park Service, Forest Service and residents - This has been described in other sections, but it’s uncommon and important. • Byway as gateway to off-highway experiences - The byway provides access to extensive public lands. The CMP emphasizes the byway as a gateway, helping travelers explore those lands for nature-based experiences, then return for lodging and services. Itineraries on Forest Service and National Park roads showcase experiences once only familiar to locals. • Design guidelines unite the byway and region - Situated between national forests and Mount Rainier, the byway lacked its own identity. With new capital improvements, the guidelines will not only knit together the byway with consistent design, but also connect the byway to the aesthetic of the neighboring park and forests. • Small and simple projects show early wins - The CMP included projects that were easy, inexpensive and showed quick progress. For example, thousands of popular wayfinding maps have been distributed by businesses and information centers.

Primary Funding Sources

Funds contributed from local or state sources: $26,400 Funds contributed from Federal sources: $104,600 Funds contributed from other sources: hundreds (thousands?) of hours of volunteer time were part of the process, but not counted as match Total cost of project: $131,000

During this project, we learned:

• We have great folks in the Federal land management agencies in this area • Well-defined goals helped sell the byway program in each community • There was good business support for co-operative marketing of the area • Agency and business leaders participated and continue to be supportive • A good consultant is critical to completion of a usable corridor management plan

If we were to do it again, we would:

• Try to better manage the agreed upon timeline • Develop a business database as part of the community meetings • Engage county and state elected officials sooner • Pre-commit corporate and/or agency sponsorship of projects in the plan • Always remember that treasured volunteers require praise, encouragement and lunch

Supporting Images For This Project

Photo: The White Pass National Scenic Byway CMP.

Photo: The watchable wildlife theme statement for the byway.

Photo: Mount Rainier from the recently completed Viewpoint, built following the byway design guidelines.

Photo: Design guidelines for visitor kiosks from the White Pass National Scenic Byway CMP.

Photo: The proposed viewpoint project from the White Pass National Scenic Byway CMP.

Photo: A wayshowing map in the small town of Mossyrock is one of a series of wayshowing panels located along the White Pass National Scenic Byway byway. The large panels are approximately 4 x 6 feet, and describe visitor attractions and services along the route.

Photo: Detail image of the White Pass National Scenic Byway wayshowing maps.

Photo: A traveler from the White Pass National Scenic Byway enjoys the view over one of the many alpine lakes accessible from the route.

Photo: Visitors feed the elk at the Oak Creek Wildlife Area along White Pass National Scenic Byway.