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Press Room
PRESS INFORMATION
For Immediate Release
PROGRESS ON
BIG BEND SCENIC BYWAY
IN LEON, FRANKLIN, AND WAKULLA COUNTIES
 Through a number of recent steps, the candidate
Big Bend Scenic
Byway—a proposed 248-mile corridor running through portions of Leon,
Wakulla, Franklin, and Liberty Counties—is moving closer to the goal of designation as a
Florida Scenic Highway. Administered by the Florida Department of Transportation
(FDOT),
the Florida Scenic Highways Program mirrors the national program administered under
the Federal Highway Administration, which so far has made possible the designation of
95 such scenic and historic roads enjoyed by travelers nationwide.
 Of the four counties in Florida's Big Bend area, Wakulla County got
a head start through the initial support of the USDA Forest Service office for
the Apalachicola National Forest. In 2001-02, under the leadership of the
Corridor Advocacy
Group (CAG) chaired by Bonnie Holub, Director of the Wakulla County Tourist Development
Council, endorsements were obtained from a broad cross section of civic,
environmental, and business groups. The City Councils of St. Marks and Sopchoppy, as
well as the Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners, voted unanimously to endorse
the Scenic Byway designation project. Wakulla's Letter of Intent (LOI) was approved
by FDOT in early 2002. A subsequent tour of the Wakulla County segment was held for the
interagency Scenic Highway Advisory Committee (SHAC), which also unanimously supported
Wakulla's candidacy. Community teams, formed under the Wakulla CAG, have
continued to meet to refine their lists of intrinsic resources as they move toward the
next, and all-important, Eligibility Application Phase.
 Now there is also strong progress in both Leon and Franklin
Counties. The Leon County CAG formed and elected Commissioner Jane Sauls as chair of
the group. On May13, 2003, the Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a
proposal to proceed with the Scenic Byway initiative, and the Metropolitan
Planning Organization followed suit on May 19th with unanimous endorsement of pursuit of
Florida Scenic Highway designation for the candidate Byway. At a CAG meeting held
on August 4th, the members reviewed a draft Letter of Intent for the Leon County
segment and voted to approve its submission in final form.
In parallel action in Franklin County, Ms. Dixie Partington, known
for her work at the Dixie Theater, Apalachicola Traffic Safety Committee, and Big Bend
Hospice, is serving as chair of the Franklin County CAG. In Carrabelle,
Apalachicola/Eastpoint, St. George Island, and Lanark Village/St. Teresa, local CAG teams have formed
and are now working on the identification of their "intrinsic resources."
The City Councils of Apalachicola and Carrabelle each voted
unanimously in favor of
the
Scenic Byway designation process and, on June 17, 2003, the
Franklin County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution of support.
More than 20 Franklin County civic, environmental, and business organizations
have endorsed the Byway designation process. A Letter of Intent covering the Franklin
County segment was submitted to FDOT on August 5th.
In Liberty County, a 32-mile segment of CR 375 already designated
internally under the auspices of the USDA Forest Service as the Apalachee Savannahs
Scenic Byway is included as part of the proposed 248-mile corridor for the
candidate Big Bend Scenic Byway. As of this date, the U.S. Forest Service serves as the
representative CAG for that segment.
 Once the Letters of Intent submitted by the Leon and Franklin
County CAGs have been reviewed and accepted by the FDOT, the Byway may be
represented by a single CAG. As a first step toward this goal, joint meetings among members
of the existing Leon, Wakulla, and Franklin CAGs are anticipated later this fall.
Experience with Scenic Byways elsewhere in Florida suggests that this multi-jurisdictional
process to obtain Florida Scenic Highway designation may take two to three more years to complete.
 At a Scenic Byway meeting in February 2003, Representative Will
Kendrick noted that "Most people don't understand the impact
that the Scenic Byway will have." The designation process not only
encourages grassroots involvement and support, he explained, but
"…promotes nature-based tourism that allows us to maintain our
abundance of natural resources" and gives rural areas increased
priority when seeking grant funding. Opportunities for partnership with state, local, and federal
agencies are enhanced, and the expansion of nature- and heritage-based tourism can bring important
economic benefits to the local economy. "This allows our communities to continue to be
who we are, without a lot of alterations or changes to our resources," Kendrick
concluded.
Providing technical assistance to the Leon, Wakulla, and Franklin
CAGs are Applied Sustainability Enterprises, LLC and Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc. (contacts:
Jon Sewell and Eric Heinz).
For further background on the candidate
Big Bend Scenic Byway designation project and the Florida Scenic
Highways Program in general, contact :
Ms. Laura Haddock,
District Scenic Highways Coordinator,
FDOT District 3, Chipley,
Florida
850/638-0250, extension 560
E-mail laura.haddock@dot.state.fl.us
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