SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2006 SESSION

068404844
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 177
Offered January 25, 2006
Commending the National Scenic Byways' addition of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Colonial Parkway, George Washington Memorial Parkway, and Skyline Drive to its national program and the state coalition of entities that secured the designation.
----------
Patron-- Whipple
----------

WHEREAS, the National Scenic Byways Program is part of the United States Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration; and

WHEREAS, the National Scenic Byways Program is a grass-roots, collaborative effort established to help recognize, preserve, and enhance selected roads throughout the United States; and

WHEREAS, since 1992, the National Scenic Byways Program has provided funding for almost 1,500 state and nationally designated byway projects in 48 states; and

WHEREAS, the United States Secretary of Transportation recognizes certain roads as All-American Roads or National Scenic Byways, based on one or more archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, or scenic qualities; and

WHEREAS, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Colonial Parkway, George Washington Memorial Parkway, and Skyline Drive have long been recognized as meeting the National Scenic Byways criteria; and

WHEREAS, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Colonial Parkway, George Washington Memorial Parkway, and Skyline Drive have not held the designation and have previously been absent from the National Scenic Byways’ maps, website, and promotional materials; and

WHEREAS, the National Scenic Byways designation for the four parkways was sought by a state-wide coalition of public and private groups, including Scenic Virginia, the Blue Ridge Parkway Association, the National Park Service, the Federal Highway Administration, VDOT, the Virginia Tourism Corporation, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the four parkways; local marketing groups, including Colonial Williamsburg and Luray Caverns; and elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels of government; and

WHEREAS, on September 25, 2005, at a ceremony at Union Station in Washington, D.C., the United States Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration conferred the National Scenic Byway/America’s Byways designation on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Colonial Parkway, George Washington Memorial Parkway, and Skyline Drive; and

WHEREAS, the designation is a special tribute to the Blue Ridge Parkway, Colonial Parkway, George Washington Memorial Parkway, and Skyline Drive for the Federal Highway Administration to confer designation to all four Virginia parkways during a single National Scenic Byways selection cycle; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia will now be featured on the National Scenic Byway/America’s Byways’ maps, website, and brochures currently used by potential tourists from around the world; and

WHEREAS, this designation will assist tourists during their travel throughout the Commonwealth, in particular those who visit Virginia during the anniversary celebration in 2007 of the founding of the Jamestown settlement in 1607; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the National Scenic Byways' addition of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Colonial Parkway, George Washington Memorial Parkway, and Skyline Drive to its national program and the state coalition of entities that secured the designation; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the dedicated members of the state-wide coalition of organizations and agencies that secured the National Scenic Byways' designation for Virginia's four beautiful parkways as an expression of the General Assembly’s gratitude for their hard work in securing this singular honor for the Commonwealth.