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November 14, 2008
 Updated management plan available for Outer Banks Scenic Byway An updated Corridor Management Plan for the Outer Banks Scenic Byway has been submitted to boards of commissioners in Dare, Hyde, and Carteret counties. The state-designated Outer Banks Scenic Byway follows North Carolina’s coastline as it juts into the Atlantic Ocean. The byway threads its way through a spectacular natural landscape punctuated by 21 culturally-rich villages on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands and in Down East. The updated plan was prepared as the basis for submitting a nomination for national designation for the Outer Banks Scenic Byway. Only 125 byways across the nation have earned national status. On Nov. 17 at regularly scheduled meetings, the three boards of commissioners will review the plan. The Byway’s Advisory Committee, with representatives from all counties, is asking the boards to adopt the plan and support the byway nomination for national status. The National Scenic Byways program requires designated roadways to meet one of six “intrinsic” qualities: cultural, natural, historic, scenic, recreational or archaeological. This corridor is rich in history, scenic views and recreational opportunities, and it would be possible to support a nomination of the Outer Banks Scenic Byway on each of these qualities. However, the updated plan emphasizes the byway’s remarkable, largely intact maritime culture and that culture’s link to the natural world of the byway. The plan’s chapter 2 explains all the byway qualities and describes the byway’s history and evolution of its cultural landscape. Additionally, an addendum presents a comprehensive description of the route, Byway villages and prominent features. In four chapters, the updated plan explores topics supporting the nomination for national designation: - Ensuring stewardship of the byway’s cultural and natural resources. - Enhancing the byway for visiting and living, ferrying and driving. - Sharing the heritage of people and place along the byway. - Sharing the heritage of people and place beyond the byway. A goal of the plan is to develop “hands-on heritage” as a new emphasis for villages along the Outer Banks Scenic Byway. The plan states that authentic village history is a renewable resource with economic value. Ways to share the heritage and traditions of communities and locally-owned businesses are detailed. Innovative marketing ideas outlined in the plan’s Chapter 6 concentrate on sharing stories with new visitors during shoulder seasons and even the winter. The plan addresses quality of living along with the byway by supporting a pathway plan in the Hatteras Island villages, detailing traffic issues on Ocracoke and encouraging development of heritage-based enterprises. Four chapters are filled with recommendations. Some are for the byway as a whole. Other recommendations are specific to Hatteras and Ocracoke islands and Down East. Some recommendations obviously come from byway residents, such as addressing the need for comfort facilities on Ocracoke Island and in Down East. Other suggestions give voice to the needs of federal partners and non-profit organizations taking care of special places. The byway route includes two ferry rides and two Down East loops. The corridor encompasses the entirety of the Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores and Pea Island and Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuges. The byway follows N.C. 12, starting at Whalebone Junction in Nags Head, and runs along N.C. 12 through Bodie Island, Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island and a portion of Down East in Carteret County. The byway continues in Down East on U.S. 70 to the western edge of the marshes lining North River. In each of the byway’s three counties, boards of commissioners have appointed county-level byway committees. Representatives from these committees meet together as the Byway Advisory Committee. The advisory committee contracted with A. Elizabeth Watson, Watson Heritage Strategies, Chestertown, Md., to prepare the updated plan under a national grant received by the advisory committee. A previous plan was produced in 2003 by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The posted plan is clearly a draft. No photographs or maps are included. The Outer Banks Scenic Byway was one of the first byways recognized by North Carolina. Today, the state has designated 51 routes across the state as scenic byways. Click here to see draft management plan for Outer Banks Scenic Byway |
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