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		ANCA Regional Map Join Us Contact Us Recent News Newsletter 2007 Highlights Annual Report Board Members Publications Project Partners Staff History Strategic Plan Strategic Action Blueprint		ANCA Awarded Several National Scenic Byway Program Grants April 29, 2008 - The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) has received eight marketing grants totaling $320,000 to promote Scenic Byway communities along special touring routes across the North Country region. The series of promotional projects will stimulate tourist visitation to natural, cultural, historical, scenic and recreational resources in towns and villages and increase visitor spending at attractions, events, and businesses throughout the Adirondack North Country region. Communities will benefit from increased visibility leading to new and repeat visitation in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Jefferson, Montgomery, Oneida, Oswego, Saratoga, St. Lawrence, Warren, and Washington counties. The eight projects are as follows: Byway Tourism Assessment Project: ANCA will work with Susan Fuller of Fuller Communications to hire a market research firm to assess specific interests and visitation patterns of today’s travelers, including those who use the State Scenic Byway touring routes in northern New York. ANCA and Byways communities and businesses will be able to use the outcomes of the research to plan and deliver promotional tools and campaigns, and develop infrastructure and programs that maximize the return on investment of their marketing resources. In May, ANCA will be accepting proposals from marketing firms interested in conducting the field studies. The market research study results will be applied in the creation of three state-of-the-art Internet websites. Adirondack Trail, Olympic, and Central Adirondack Trail Scenic Byways Internet Websites Project: Phase one of the project will promote each Byway community and allow prospective visitors to research and plan exceptional Byway travel experiences along highway, land and water routes. Community profiles, suggested activities, and environmental features will be highlighted. Visitors will be encouraged to explore a variety of remarkable sites and lesser known destinations along the hundred’s of miles of Byways. Phase two of the project will expand coverage of recreational opportunities and will include e-postcards, Byway photo galleries, and webpage templates for community use. Tim Holmes of Holmes and Associates was selected from a pool of applicants to develop the websites. Adirondack Trail Scenic Byway Brochure Project: ANCA and Kathi Tevlin of In The Woods Design Studio will work directly with community leaders in Franklin, Hamilton, Fulton and Montgomery counties to create a compelling tourism guide. Each community will be invited to submit descriptions of significant heritage and recreational opportunities. The local input will be integrated with the extensive resource data collected in the Byway’s Corridor Management Plan to tell the story of the 188-mile trail extending from Malone to Fonda. Additionally, Tevlin will prepare a Scenic Byway Design Guideline Manual that will shape all new Byway interpretive signage and publications. Byway Community Promotional Brochure Project: ANCA and In the Woods Design Studio will join with the Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce to prepare a brochure featuring the Olympic and Adirondack Trail Byways’ resources surrounding the Village and Town of Tupper Lake. As home of the Wild Center, Tupper Lake is poised to receive thousands of visitors who arrive via the two Byway routes. The brochure will introduce visitors to the memorable experiences awaiting them in the neighboring area. Outstanding nature and recreation sites with an emphasis on scenic waterways will be included in the brochure. A significant number of the brochures will be distributed to motivate visitation in many Byway areas, thus supporting local economies. Arts, Crafts, and Foods Along the Scenic Byways of the Adirondack North Country Project: The 2008 regional publication, to be released shortly, will support cultural and heritage tourism along fourteen Byway routes by promoting artists, artisans, local food producers and Adirondack traditions. 40,000 copies will be distributed at over 2,100 locations. Central Adirondack Trail Marketing and Branding Project: ANCA will return to the Byway communities in Warren, Hamilton, Herkimer and Oneida counties in direct response to requests for assistance with promoting local assets along the route from Glens Falls to Rome. ANCA will work with Fuller Communications to assist communities in realizing their marketing goals. Villages, towns, and cities will learn how to use their Scenic Byway designation to positively impact economic and community development. Participants will learn about interests of today’s travelers, how to stimulate visitor spending, how to coordinate marketing materials, and have opportunities to form partnerships with other stakeholders for new Byway initiatives. Adirondack North Country Region Scenic Byway Map Project: ANCA will work in partnership with the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council to re-print 200,000 copies of the Scenic Byway map for 2008. Chambers of Commerce and visitor centers throughout the area report that they can’t keep the maps on the shelf as they are so popular with visitors. This edition will focus on birding, and recreational, and cultural opportunities throughout the counties. "ANCA continues to be an advocate for Adirondack North Country travel and tourism in our ability to work with the Federal Highway Administration and the NYS Department of Transportation to secure funding that will go a long way in establishing our Byway communities as unique drive-to destinations. We will be tapping the millions of New York City, Boston, Montreal and Ottawa city residents within a single day’s drive of the Byway’s network." Terry Martino, ANCA Executive Director stated. "With outreach by Sharon O’Brien, ANCA’s Scenic Byway Coordinator, we have engaged community and business leaders in grass-roots marketing products that are a cornerstone of business development." All of the National Scenic Byways Program projects will be managed by the Adirondack North Country Association, funded by the Federal Highway Administration Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century of 1998 and administered by the New York State Department of Transportation. Those interested in learning more should contact the Adirondack North Country Association’s Byway Program Coordinator, Sharon O’Brien at (518) 891-6200 or visit ANCA’s website at www.adirondack.org. ANCA is committed to economically viable communities and a rural quality of life. Sharon O'Brien, Scenic Byway Program Coordinator, can be reached at anca-obrien@northnet.org.