Mount Evans Scenic and Historic Byway Corridor Management Plan SECTION I:- PLAN OVERVIEW ................................................................................................... 3 WHAT IS A CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN ? .................................................................................... 3 MISSION , VISION , AND GOALS ............................................................................................................. 3 Mission ............................................................................................................................................ 3 Vision ............................................................................................................................................... 3 Goals ............................................................................................................................................... 4 SECTION II: CORRIDOR MAP, BOUNDARIES AND LINKAGES ...................................... 6 MAP 1 — REGIONAL CONTEXT .......................................................................................................... 6 MAP 2 — START AND END OF THE BYWAY ....................................................................................... 6 MAP 3 — INTERPRETIVE SITES ........................................................................................................... 6 MAP 4 — STUDY AREAS ..................................................................................................................... 7 SECTION III: ASSESSING THE MOUNT EVANS SCENIC AND HISTORIC BYWAY’S RESOURCES ........................................................................................................................................ 8 SUMMARY ASSESSMENT OF BYWAY RESOURCES ............................................................................. 9 NATURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY .................................................................................................... 9 SCENIC RESOURCES INVENTORY ...................................................................................................... 12 CULTURAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES INVENTORY ....................................................................... 12 HISTORIC RESOURCES OF THE BYWAY AND IDAHO SPRINGS ........................................................ 16 Area 1—The Northern Anchor of the Mount Evans Scenic and Historic Byway and the City of Idaho Springs ................................................................................................................................ 16 Area 2—Along Hwy. 103 of the Mount Evans Scenic and Historic Byway ............................... 16 Area 3—Echo Lake and Environs ............................................................................................... 16 Area 4—Echo Lake to the Summit ............................................................................................... 17 RECREATIONAL RESOURCES INVENTORY ........................................................................................ 18 Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest ............................................................................................ 18 Denver Mountain Parks property at Echo Lake ......................................................................... 18 Idaho Springs ................................................................................................................................ 19 Private Property ........................................................................................................................... 19 SECTION IV: MARKETING THE BYWAY — STRATEGIES AND ACTION PLAN .... 22 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 22 CHALLENGES ..................................................................................................................................... 22 UNDERSTANDING THE BYWAY VISITOR – WHO IS VISITING NOW ? ............................................... 22 FISCAL IMPACT OF TOURISM ............................................................................................................. 24 TOURISM AND MARKETING – WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE ? ......................................................... 26 What type of Visitor should Clear Creek County attempt to Attract to the Mount Evans Scenic and Historic Byway? .................................................................................................................... 26 MARKETING AND PROMOTION STRATEGIES .................................................................................... 27 TOURISM AND MARKETING ACTION PLAN ...................................................................................... 30 SECTION V: INTERPRETING THE BYWAY -- THE INTERPRETIVE MASTER PLAN ................................................................................................................................................................ 38 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 38 UPDATE TO THE IMP FOR THE UPPER SECTION OF THE BYWAY ..................................................... 39 INTERPRETIVE STRATEGIES FOR THE BYWAY .................................................................................. 42 SIGNIFICANT INTERPRETIVE FEATURES AND OPPORTUNITIES ......................................................... 43 Interpretable Resources................................................................................................................ 43 Interpretation Facilities ................................................................................................................ 43 2 OVERALL BYWAY INTERPRETIVE THEMES ...................................................................................... 44 TARGET AUDIENCES FOR INTERPRETATION ..................................................................................... 45 Current Visitor Groups ................................................................................................................ 45 New Target Audiences .................................................................................................................. 46 INTERPRETATION ACTION PLAN ....................................................................................................... 48 Universal Actions for Interpretation ............................................................................................ 48 Site-specific Actions for Interpretation ........................................................................................ 54 Additional Sites for Interpretation ............................................................................................... 66 BYWAY KIOSK DESIGN GUIDELINES ................................................................................................ 69 Design Guidelines ......................................................................................................................... 69 Graphics Standards ...................................................................................................................... 70 BYWAY KIOSK INTERPRETIVE PANELS ............................................................................................ 71 SECTION VI: PROTECTING AND IMPROVING BYWAY RESOURCES ....................... 78 PROTECTION OF BYWAY RESOURCES ............................................................................................... 78 Natural Resources ........................................................................................................................ 78 Scenic Resources .......................................................................................................................... 82 Cultural and Historic Resources.................................................................................................. 84 Recreational Resources ................................................................................................................ 86 GENERAL REVIEW OF TRANSPORTATION , ROADWAY STANDARDS AND SAFETY ACTIONS FOR THE MOUNT EVANS SCENIC AND HISTORIC BYWAY .............................................................................. 86 GENERAL BYWAY IMPROVEMENTS .................................................................................................. 88 SECTION VII: SIGNING THE BYWAY ..................................................................................... 90 SIGNAGE FOR THE MOUNT EVANS SCENIC AND HISTORIC BYWAY ................................................ 90 SECTION VIII FUNDING AND FINANCING ........................................................................... 92 FINANCING STRATEGY FOR THE MOUNT EVANS SCENIC AND HISTORIC BYWAY ......................... 92 MENU OF FUNDING SOURCES FOR THE MOUNT EVANS SCENIC AND HISTORIC BYWAY .............. 95 Public Sources .............................................................................................................................. 95 Private Sources ............................................................................................................................. 97 SECTION IX: ADMINISTERING, MONITORING AND EVALUATING THE CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN ......................................................................................... 100 ADMINISTERING THE CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN ...............................................................