FORWARD The late Charles Kuralt said . "Nebraska’s Highway 2 is one of America’s 10 most beautiful highways. This road will take you to one of the last unexplored frontiers where vast treasures can be discovered." Charles Kuralt of CBS television program “On the Road”: “From the first time I ever drove along it, I’ve been in love with Highway 2. It’s not so much that there’s a special something to see along Nebraska’s Highway 2. There’s a special nothing to see. From Grand Island to Alliance, Highway 2 takes you through the Nebraska Sandhills, the largest area of sand dunes in the western hemisphere. Writers inevitably use a metaphor of the sea to describe the hundreds of thousands of acres of grass – and hundreds of thousands of acres of sky. Like the sea the emptiness of the Sandhills gives the travelers a strange sense of comfort, there’s a feeling that as long as these two things are in order, the earth and the sky, all the rest can be forgotten until tomorrow. Highway 2 is not just another highway that goes somewhere, Highway 2 is somewhere.” Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan Table of Contents Forward – Charles Kuralt’s Impression Table of Contents 1 . Mission, Vision, and Guiding Principles 2 . Introduction of Corridor Management Plan 2.1 . Route Description 2.2 . Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway Organization 2.3 . Summary of Prior Goals & Achievements 3 . Intrinsic Quality Introduction 3.1 . Intrinsic Quality – Natural 3.2 . Intrinsic Quality – Cultural 3.3 . Intrinsic Quality – Scenic 3.4 . Intrinsic Quality – Historic 3.5 . Intrinsic Quality – Recreation 3.6 . Intrinsic Quality – Archeological 3.7 . Intrinsic Quality – Current and Potential Threats 3.8 . Intrinsic Quality – Preserving the Byway 4 . County Introductions and the Role of Railroads 4.1 . Hall County 4.2 . Buffalo County 4.3 . Howard County 4.4 . Sherman County & Sherman County Reservoir 4.5 . Custer County 4.6 . Blaine County 4.7 . Nebraska National Forest 4.8 . Thomas County 4.9 . Valentine National Wildlife Refuge 4.10 . Hooker County 4.11 . Grant County 4.12 . Sheridan County 4.13 . Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge 4.14 . Box Butte County 5 . Traffic Information and Safety Plan 6 . Signage 7 . Marketing and Target Markets 8 . Visitors Centers 9 . Tours 9.1 . Crescent Lake Auto Tour 10. Strategic Plan 11. Resources and Partnerships 12 . Acknowledgements 13 . Appendix 13.1. SJSB Committee List 13.2. Adopt A Highway Program 13.3. Community Waypoints 13.4. Points of Interest Waypoints 13.5. SJSB Logo Graphic Standards Chapter 1 Mission, Vision, and Guiding Principles Mission Statement To conserve and promote the natural, cultural, historical, recreational and scenic qualities along the Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway Vision Statement To improve our rural economy by working cooperatively to enhance the visitor experience Mission and Vision Statements Adopted July 9, 2008, by the Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway Organization Website www.sandhillsjourney.com Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway Logo SJSB Corridor Management Plan Page 1 – 1 Chapter 1 Mission, Vision, and Guiding Principles GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF THE SANDHILLS JOURNEY SCENIC BYWAY THE SANDHILLS JOURNEY SCENIC BYWAY IS DESIGNED TO: Develop a strong network among communities along the Byway and promote an understanding of natural and cultural resources. Encourage economic development through promotion of the Byway. Lend support to local communities with byway projects and plans. Provide a unified voice to endorse byway projects. Increase communication among byway communities regarding tourism and economic development initiatives. Provide a framework by which economic development may be encouraged without compromising the quality of life or individual rights enjoyed by residents of the region. Provide a stronger lobbying block to solicit funding for byway projects. Fulfill corridor management plan requirements for designation as a State and National Scenic Byway. THE SANDHILLS JOURNEY SCENIC BYWAY WILL NOT: Impose any regulation on a county, town, business owner, or private individual along the route. (It is not the purpose of this organization to regulate or enforce any regulations.) Prohibit new construction or development. Deny any community the right to pursue funding for local projects. Require participation in byway projects or programs. SJSB Corridor Management Plan Page 1 – 2 Chapter 1 Mission, Vision, and Guiding Principles Chapter 2.0 Introduction to Corridor Management Plan (CMP) This document is a Corridor Management Plan (CMP) created for Nebraska Highway 2 from Grand Island to Alliance. This Nebraska state scenic byway was designated as the Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway on October 18, 1999. A CMP is a planning tool that will identify the intrinsic resources along the Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway and plan the actions necessary for their improvement and conservation. This grass roots effort will be locally developed and will provide the framework for conserving and maintaining resources for local residents and visitors. PURPOSE OF CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN The purpose of the CMP is to promote the Byway in a coherent form to the visitors from outside the area who will come to experience this region of Nebraska. This plan provides a vision and identifies tools to accommodate and enhance the visitor experience and knowledge of the area. Conserving, enhancing, supporting and promoting the natural and cultural qualities of this area, and the activities and functions of the local communities are of paramount importance. Local citizens, business owners, civic groups, historical societies, tourism representatives, property owners, and elected officials have come together to support this effort. The responsibility is shared among many stake holders to make more people aware of the Byway and to lead to greater economic diversification and a stronger Byway organization. Education of the visitors is an important component of this Byway. It is important for the Byway organization to provide detailed visitor information so the visitors will feel comfortable traveling in this area of Nebraska that is rural and sometimes remote. When visitors find great hospitality, friendly residents, modern services and unique experiences they will be enticed to stay in the area longer to add to their experience. The Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan is intended to be a “living document” that outlines the goals, strategies, and responsibilities for preserving and promoting the byway. It is designed to change with the community and respond to new proposals and developments along the byway corridor. Using the mission and vision statements as guides, the Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway organization will work to preserve, conserve, protect, and enhance this Byway and its corridor. The integrity of the area will be preserved as larger numbers of visitors come to enjoy the uniqueness and diversity of the area. SJSB Corridor Management Plan Page 2 – 1 Chapter 2 Introduction of Corridor Management Plan In the planning process, some concerns have been raised about the implications of the byway management plan on future land use, development rights, zoning, and the resale of property. This CMP recommends that the Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway apply for All-American Road designation. The existing land use and zoning regulations coupled with the existing county, state, federal, and private agricultural land and open space preservation programs are some of the best available. The plan suggests that better use of these programs is all that is needed to conserve the intrinsic qualities of the byway. No changes to growth areas, land use, or zoning regulations of any kind are proposed as part of this plan, nor are they needed for byway designation. Instead the plan recommends that new incentives be developed that encourages property owners to take advantage of these programs on a voluntary basis. Anyone who buys property either now, or in the future (if or when the byway is designated as an All-American Road), can continue to use that property in any way local zoning allows. The only regulation that has taken place as a result of the designation of Nebraska as a State Scenic Byway is the prohibition of new billboard construction. No new billboards are allowed on Highway 2 based on its designation as a Nebraska Scenic Byway and this designation is also applicable as a National Scenic Byway or All American Road. Should the byway’s intrinsic qualities be lost due to gradual changes in land use over time, it is possible the byway’s scenic designation could be taken away. It is completely up to the counties and the municipalities to determine how to conserve the byway’s intrinsic qualities and this plan provides them with a range of options. ELEMENTS OF THE SANDHILLS JOURNEY SCENIC BYWAY CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN This CMP has been developed in accordance with the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHA) National Scenic Byway Program guidelines and includes the 17 requirements of a good corridor management plan: 1. A map identifying the corridor boundaries, location of intrinsic qualities, and land uses in the corridor is shown in Chapter 2.1. 2. An assessment of the intrinsic qualities and their context – the areas surrounding them. See Chapters 3.1 – 3.7. 3. A strategy for maintaining and enhancing the natural and cultural intrinsic qualities – See Chapter 3.8 – Preserving the Byway, and see Chapter 10 – Strategic Plan. 4. The agencies, groups, and individuals who are part of the team that will carry out the plan, including a list of their specific, individual responsibilities. It will also include a schedule of when and how reviews will be accomplished and assess the degree to which those responsibilities are met. See Chapters 10 -Strategic Plan and Chapter 11 - Resources & Partnerships. 5. A strategy of how existing development might be enhanced and new development accommodated to preserve the intrinsic qualities of the byway. See Chapter 10 - Strategic Plan. SJSB Corridor Management Plan Page 2 – 2 Chapter 2 Introduction of Corridor Management Plan 6.