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All-American Road status sought By PAUL FATTIG SHADY COVE - A proposal to put the scenic byways connecting Gold Hill and Roseburg on tourism maps nationwide is about to hit the road. A series of meetings - the first to be held Tuesday - will gather public comments on the proposal to make the Rogue-Umpqua route, including sections of Highway 234 and 62, a federally designated All-American Road, said Alma Spicer, spokeswoman for the Upper Rogue Regional Tourism Alliance. "These are really grass-roots meetings," she said. "We feel making it into an All-American Road would be wonderful. It's such a beautiful 172-mile loop. And it would really stimulate the economy." Rogue Umpqua Scenic Byway The following public hearings will be held on a proposal to make the byway a federally designated All-American Road. 2 p.m. Tuesday, Shady Cove City Hall. 7 p.m. Tuesday, Prospect Community Center. 10 a.m. Wednesday, Gold Hill City Hall. Sessions also planned in Glide and Roseburg. Dubbed the Rogue Umpqua Scenic Byway, its southern end begins in Gold Hill and follows Route 234 to the intersection with state Highway 62. From there, the route continues north through Shady Cove, Trail, Prospect and Union Creek. The byway continues north around Diamond Lake, past Lemolo Lake, down along the North Umpqua River through Idleyld Park, Glide and on to Roseburg. For travelers, the route offers spectacular forests, waterfalls, unique geologic features as well as historic and prehistoric sites, Spicer said. In addition to drawing people to the small communities along the route, it would bring more tourists to adjacent communities such as Eagle Point and Butte Falls, she said. But its designation would only come about if the public supports the idea, she added. The idea is backed by the Forest Service, said Tom Dew, community assistance coordinator for the Rogue River National Forest. "We're very much in support of it - we're working hard to get it," he said. "We think this would help the communities (along the road). It won't include any more restrictions. It would be good for everyone." Much of the 172-mile stretch goes through portions of the Rogue River and Umpqua national forests. If approved by the federal Highway Administration, it would join the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, the All-American Road stretching from the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge to Crater Lake, and then connecting with Highway 97 south of Chemult. It would also be only the third in the nation to receive such a blue-ribbon designation, Spicer said. "It needs to be beautiful but it also needs public support if it's going to happen," she said. Deadline for nominating the proposal is November, she said, adding that the decision will be announced next June. While not negatively affecting property owners along the route, the designation would let tourists know it is a route worth traveling. "It doesn't get much better than the Rogue-Umpqua," she said. "This is rural America at its best." Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.