Press Release
For immediate release

April 6, 2006

Historic Hills Corridor receives scenic byway designation

The Iowa Scenic Byway Advisory Council notified Chariton Valley Planning & Development that the application to rename and extend the existing Woodlands Scenic Byway to Historic Hills Scenic Byway has been approved.

In addition to the Historic Hills Scenic Byway designation, a segment of roadway –county road J3T from Moravia to Drakesville – qualifies as a scenic byway in the heritage byway category.

John McCurdy, community planner for Chariton Valley Planning & Development says it is humbling to know the amount of effort and time that was put into getting this scenic byway designation.

“State recognition of the efforts of the Historic Hills group is very gratifying and is an important boost as we work toward bigger and better opportunities for southern Iowa,” McCurdy.

The approved byway travels through seven of the nine Historic Hills counties in southern Iowa, which includes Appanoose, Davis, Lucas, Monroe, Van Buren, Wapello, and Wayne. The counties of Clarke and Decatur, which are on the western edge of the Historic Hills Corridor, will be included in a future byway extension nomination.

Troy Siefert, Scenic Byway Coordinator with the Iowa Department of Transportation says the byway development process will soon begin.

“There are many factors associated with the byway designation. We will begin by working with cities and counties along the designated byway on the sign installation process,” explains Siefert.

Chariton Valley Planning & Development, with the assistance of the Historic Hills Advisory Committee will now pursue national byway status for the corridor.

For more information regarding Historic Hills or the byway designation, contact the Chariton Valley Planning & Development at 641.437.4359.

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