Corridor Management Plan for the St. John Valley Cultural Byway St. John Valley, Maine 2014 With 2019-2020 amendments included Table of Contents Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Executive Summary …………………………………………………………………………..…… 4 1. Introduction • Background …………………………………………………………………………… 6 • Planning methodology and team ……………………………………………… 9 2. Byway Experience • Intrinsic Qualities Assessment ………………………………………………….. 12 - Cultural and historic intrinsic qualities …………………………… 13 - Scenic and natural intrinsic qualities ……………………………… 16 - Recreational intrinsic qualities ……………………………………….. 17 - Maintaining and enhancing intrinsic qualities …………………. 18 • Market analysis, target market, visitor services/amenities ……… 19 • Interpretation: wayside exhibits ………………………………………………… 25 • Shaping the byway story …………………………………………………………… 28 • Tour the byway: the traveler experience …………………………………… 34 3. Byway Goals • Mission, vision and values …………………………………………………………. 38 • Goals, strategies, and actions ……………………………………………………. 39 4. Managing the Byway • Protection techniques, land use, zoning ……………………………………. 46 • Road safety, improvements and design ……………………………………… 48 • Outdoor advertising and signage ……………………………………………….. 54 5. Ensuring a Strong Future • Sustaining the byway – community, partners, funding …………… 56 • Implementation roadmap …………………………………………………………. 60 NOTE: Updates to this Corridor Management Plan (up to 2020), including other relevant materials, can be found in the document: Appendices – Supporting Material for the Corridor Management Plan of the St. John Valley Cultural Byway. Corridor Management Plan | St. John Valley Cultural Byway 2 Acknowledgements This Corridor Management Plan for the St. John Valley Cultural Byway is to provide the byway’s management committee and people of the St. John Valley of northern Maine with insight, guidance, and tools, to manage and build success for the byway. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the shaping of this management plan, including members of the working group, volunteers on the byway planning committee, stakeholders who participated in meetings, and many others throughout the region who provided their insight and guidance. Additional input by staff of the Maine Department of Transportation, the Northern Maine Development Commission, Maine Office of Tourism, and educators from universities from both sides of the international border, was invaluable and enriched this plan immensely. Many thanks for funding to the Federal Highway Administration-National Scenic Byway Program, the Maine Department of Transportation, and the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development. Byway Planning Team | 2012-2014 Working Group Brian Longstaff, NMDC; Fred Michaud, MaineDOT; Sheila Jans, CultureWorth; Bruce Hazard, PlaceWorks Byway Planning Committee Donald Cyr, Musée culturel du Mont-Carmel, Lille; Norman Cyr, Congrès mondiale acadien, Madawaska; Rachelle DeFarges, Acadian Culture Exchange, Madawaska; Steve Dobson, Aroostook Hospitality Inn, Van Buren; Donald Guimond, Town of Fort Kent; Chace Jackson, Allagash; Lois Muller, Madawaska Historical Society, Madawaska; Alain Ouellette, NMDC, Fort Kent; Lise Pelletier, University of Maine at Fort Kent; Lorraine Pelletier, Congrès mondiale acadien, Madawaska; Louis Pelletier III, Allagash Wood Products, Allagash; Daniel Picard, Majuscule Design, Madawaska; Therese Provenzano, University of Maine at Fort Kent, Wallagrass; Judy Paradis, Maine Acadian Heritage Council, Frenchville; Rosaire Paradis, Association Française de la Vallée St-Jean, Frenchville; Kathy Kelly Rioux, St. Francis; Christy Sirois, Town of St. Agatha; Raymond Thibodeau, Aroostook Agency on Aging, Sinclair Additional support Michael Eisensmith, NMDC; Bruno Hicks, University of Maine at Fort Kent; Jay Kamm, NMDC; Jon Gulliver, NMDC; Leslie Jackson, NMDC; Larry Johannesman, MaineDOT; Nancy Montgomery, Montgomery Design Additional contributors (locations in Maine unless otherwise noted) Beurmond Banville, St. Agatha; Beatrice Craig, University of Ottawa, Ontario; Guy Dubay, Madawaska; George Dumond, Fort Kent; Nicole Lang, University of Moncton, Edmundston, New Brunswick; Reverend Jacques Lapointe, Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel Parish, Madawaska; Richard Lyness, Lille; David Putnam, University of Maine at Presque Isle, Presque Isle; Mariella Squire, University of Maine at Fort Kent, Fort Kent Cover photos: Maple sugar cutter, collection of Musée culturel du Mont-Carmel; Acadian Festival gathering, Madawaska; St. John River looking west. Photo credits: Sheila Jans and Daniel Picard Corridor Management Plan | St. John Valley Cultural Byway 3 Executive Summary On April 4, 2010, the St. John Valley Cultural Byway was designated a Maine Scenic Byway by the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT). What followed was an extensive public process of planning in preparation for a Corridor Management Plan (CMP). The process to achieve the management plan was a highly public and collaborative one, which involved residents, business owners, local government officials, consultants, and state and regional agencies. Rich History and Bright Future Commonly referred to as “The Valley”, this rural, international region with a population of close 14,000, is situated at the northernmost tip of Maine on the border with the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Québec. A catalyst for designation was the 2014 Congrès mondial acadien (World Acadian Congress), where thousands of people from around the world were welcomed to the international region. With designation in 2010, the St. John Valley Cultural Byway was born. The region’s culture and history, and the people’s enduring sense of identity and place, shape the byway story. There is abundance – a rich and diverse history, numerous museums and historic sites, the French language, vibrant traditions, world-class outdoor recreation, unique festivals, international location – forming the foundation for a distinct collection of stories and treasured places. The byway celebrates the predominant French population of Acadian and French-Canadians, along with the Scots-Irish and Native American cultures.1 The 104-mile byway builds upon over 40 years of development efforts by regional, state and national groups, as well as the ground swell of community engagement, planning, and projects around the region’s distinct culture and history. The byway is a kind of synthesizer, helping to coalesce these efforts and leverage regional assets to provide a genuine and interactive way for visitors to experience the region. Celebrating Culture Planning for this management plan was a public process involving a broad range of people from throughout the St. John Valley. A planning team, comprised of a professional working group and a volunteer planning committee, worked together to shape the byway and this management plan. Local businesses, nonprofits, scholars, and municipalities provided additional insight. The planning committee was tasked with providing input on the region’s intrinsic qualities, shaping byway themes, establishing a purpose, values and goals, and offering guidance on next steps for sustainability. The National Scenic Byways Program defines intrinsic quality as: “features that are considered representative, unique, irreplaceable, or distinctly characteristic of an area.” 2 The byway planning committee identified the Cultural Intrinsic Quality as the primary intrinsic quality. 1 For this plan, we use the term French Canadian. Though interchangable with Québecois, the term French Canadian better represents the region’s French heritage and connection with Québec. 2 National Scenic Byways Program, FHWA Interim Policy, May 18, 1995. Six instrinsic qualities: Archaeological, Cultural, Historic, Natural, Recreational, and Scenic. Corridor Management Plan | St. John Valley Cultural Byway 4 The mission of the byway is to: Celebrate the region’s distinct international blend of French, care for our cultural and natural assets, foster tourism opportunities to attract visitors from around the world, and enrich the quality of life for residents. Values reflect the highest priority in shaping the byway, which includes being inclusive, authentic, and truthful, as well as remembering the international context and stewarding the region’s culture, heritage, and land. The planning committee identified four goals for the byway: 1. Promote and raise awareness of the region’s diverse cultural heritage 2. Steward and enhance cultural, historic, scenic, and natural assets 3. Foster growth of regional tourism and economic opportunities 4. Establish byway management that reflects our values The byway goals and objectives embrace a high level of stewardship, preservation, support, and celebration of the intrinsic qualities of the byway. Beside these essential considerations, byway management also includes attention to land use, zoning, signage, road safety and improvements, and design standards. As planning for the byway progressed, a parallel initiative for the creation of interpretative panels was undertaken. Twenty-four wayside exhibits that share the region’s story and enrich the visitor’s experience are installed along the byway. Sharing our Culture and Place with the World How can we keep the St. John Valley Cultural Byway vibrant and relevant? The byway plays an important role in maintaining and enhancing the region’s key assets. Its sustainability is dependent upon strong and consistent leadership, responsiveness to visitors, collaboration, and funding.