attachment

Attachment A

August 22, 2008

Journey Through Hallowed Ground

Talking Points (VDOT)

Background

The Journey Through Hallowed Ground (JTHG) corridor was designated a Virginia Byway by the Commonwealth Transportation Board on May 17, 2007
Legislation designating the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area was signed by the President on May 8, 2008.
The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership plans to seek All American Road (National Scenic Byway) designation through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Applications for designation are due to FHWA in the Fall of 2008.
Both National Heritage Area and All American Road designation processes require the development of a corridor management plan.

Corridor Management Plan

The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership has undertaken the development of a Corridor Management Plan (CMP) and has a draft document currently under review by stakeholders.
VDOT is one of many stakeholders that are participating in the development of the CMP. We provide our comments in an open, transparent manner, for review by all stakeholders.
The CMP is a resource document for the corridor with recommendations related to tourism, land use, and transportation.
The CMP is not regulatory in nature and does not impose new requirements on state or local governments for implementation. However, it does invite stakeholders to consider aspects of tourism, land use, and transportation with an awareness of their interaction with historical and cultural resources.

VDOT’s Perspective

These designations do not limit VDOT’s ability to maintain, operate, or improve transportation in the JTHG National Heritage Area (NHA) or along designated byway corridors.
The corridor management plan will be a consideration in the implementation of transportation projects along the designated corridor as part of a transparent and collaborative process based on sound and sensitive engineering.
NHA designation will neither increase nor decrease the amount of Section 106 involvement in transportation projects. Only federal funding and permits trigger consideration of effects on historic properties under Section 106.
However, as NHA designation is designed to call attention to issues of historic and heritage conservation it may increase public attention and scrutiny on the effects of VDOT actions within the NHA.