The new 631-mile Alabama Scenic River Trail - a boating route that stretches from the Coosa River in northeast Alabama to Fort Morgan on the Alabama Gulf Coast - has been designated a National Recreational Trail, and improvements are continuing along the route. The town of Ohatchee in Calhoun County and the city of Childersburg in Talladega County are both developing primitive campsites on public land along the river. Supporters of the trail also have purchased 12 buoys, paid for through a $3,000 grant from Alabama Power Co., to install near the portage sites along the trail.
 
The buoys will help canoers and kayakers find the trails that allow boaters to carry their boats around the six Alabama Power dams on the route. They hope to install the buoys in the coming months. In June, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne designated the trail a National Recreational Trail. The Scenic River trail is billed as the nation's longest one-state river trail.
 
From the article “Scenic River Trail wins designation” by Thomas Spencer in the July 22 edition of The Birmingham News. For the complete article see:  http://www.al.com/birminghamnews/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1216714551263470.xml&coll=2

The goal of tourism in Eufaula is to put “heads in beds.” That’s why events such as the Dixie Junior Boys South Regional Tournament (July 18-22) are so important to the area. The benefits of hosting these tournaments, however, don’t stop after the teams pull out of town. Eufaula-Barbour County Chamber of Commerce Director of Tourism Corey Kirkland says these events also introduce people to the area. She says, “Sporting events are not just one-time tourism opportunities, but often visitors who attend swim meets and ball tournaments return to Eufaula at a later date for family vacations.”
 
“Lodgings tax dollars are up and have been for some time. That is fantastic, especially when you consider that two large hotels are currently closed for renovations.” The future of Eufaula tourism looks bright as several improvements and additions near completion. Quality Inn and Suites is scheduled to open in the next few months, says Kirkland, and the lodge at Lakepoint Resort State Park should re-open by July 2009.
 
We are in a very unique position in Eufaula as far as tourism,” says Kirkland. “We have a wonderful historic district with two homes that are available to tour year round, as well as the Pilgrimage tour of homes and the Christmas tour of homes. Our self-guided walking and driving tour brochure is very popular and on any given day, you can see visitor’s enjoying the historic district utilizing this tool.”

Eufaula’s abundant wildlife and dedication to protecting its natural resources have nurtured a different kind of tourism known as eco-tourism. “Eco-Tourism is increasingly popular in Eufaula,” says Kirkland. “As the nation’s first Audubon International Certified Sustainable Community, it is good to know that the city is mindful of preserving these natural resources through the Eufaula 2020 plan.”
 
From the article “Tournaments benefit local economy” by Tiffiny Woo in the July 17 edition of the Eufaula Tribune. For the complete article see:  http://www.eufaulatribune.com/euf/news/local/article/tournaments_benefit_local_economy/27777

Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP)

Public meetings will be held in four locations across the state next week:
 
July 28.....Monte Sano State Park (Huntsville).....9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
July 29.....Cheaha State Park (Near Talladega).....9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
July 31.....The Waters (Pike Road).....9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
August 1.....5 Rivers Delta Center (Spanish Fort).....9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
 
If you have not already done so, please RSVP by noon on Friday, July 25th to scadcplanning@bellsouth.net.
 
To view the meeting postcard with topic information and directions to the meeting locations, visit www.trails.alabama.gov.

The Livable Streets Network, a website devoted to promoting sustainable cities through sensible urban planning, design, and transportation policy, has launched a wiki for online users. The wiki allows users to browse reference articles, edit or supplement existing articles, or post new articles of their own. The wiki presently has roughly 150 articles, covering topics such as promoting biker and pedestrian safety, cities with innovating planning strategies, and unique mass-transit systems. To get started with the wiki, visit www.livablestreets.com/streetswiki.

 The Southern Partners Fund serves rural communities in the southeastern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Through the Fund's Regular Grants Cycle, support is provided to grassroots organizations striving for progressive fundamental change in the areas of social, economic, and environmental justice.

Applications for this program must be submitted by August 1, 2008. The Fund also accepts applications on a rolling basis for the Katrina relief, technical assistance, and travel grants programs. Please go to http://www.spfund.org/.

This study examines the feasibility associated with establishing and operating a community-based arts center in Jasper, Alabama, in the context of the greater Walker County area. The representatives of the Walker Area Community Foundation and the Arts Alliance have envisioned a community arts facility that fits within a certain range of criteria. While the vision is yet broad, there are areas of agreement that define the desired center and limit the scope of this feasibility study. They agree that such a center should be: intimate, local, versatile, unique, supportive, that it should preserve local history, and that it should attract tourists to the community.

The preponderance of arts participation in the East South Central region seems to focus on historical sites, art and craft fairs/festivals, and literature. Even so, participation is lower here than most other regions of the U.S. Focus on those areas where participation is already extant, with intensified effort in areas that will appeal to, and match the characteristics of, the local population are most likely to succeed in the Walker County setting. This study was produced for the Walker Area Community Foundation. (www.wacf.org). Download the full study here:
WACFFinal Report.pdf

Certified Alabama Planning and Zoning Official" training is being offered in Gulf Shores at the Adult Activity Center, 260 Club House Drive, Gulf Shores, AL 36542, beginning Wednesday, July 23, 2008. Course descriptions and a registration form can be found on our website at www.una.edu/conted, select Planning and Zoning tab. You may also call 800-825-5862, extension 4862, or 256-765-4862 to register. Walk-ins are welcome.

Need a room? Beachside Resort Hotel in Gulf Shores is offering a room rate of $139 plus tax for the nights of July 22, 23, 24. Call 1-888-410-3812 for information.

CAPZO CERTIFICATION COURSES
Home Study Course: Community Planning in Alabama (Required-YOU MAY REGISTER FOR THE HOMESTUDY AT ANY TIME) $139 per person

The Legal Foundation for Planning and Zoning in Alabama
Wednesday, July 23, 2008: 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (Course No. 08-PZ723A)
$82 per person/$79 per person when 3 or more register together from the same organization

Powers, Duties, & Responsibilities of Planning Commissions and Boards of Adjustment
Wednesday, July 23, 2008: 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Course No. 08-PZ723B)
$82 per person/$79 per person when 3 or more register together from the same organization

Comprehensive Planning: How to Prepare, Update, and Implement Your Plan
Thursday, July 24, 2008: 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (Course No. 08-PZ724A)
$82 per person/$79 per person when 3 or more register together from the same organization
 
Basic Zoning & Subdivision Regulations
Thursday, July 24, 2008: 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Course No. 08-PZ724B)
$82 per person/$79 per person when 3 or more register together from the same organization
$89 for CLE for attorneys

Meeting Management and Dispute Resolution
Friday, July 25, 2008: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Course No. 08-PZ725)
$169 per person/$159 per person when 3 or more register together from the same organization

Guntersville State Park Lodge - Oct. 17

Registration is now underway for "Sign Regulation and Manufactured Housing in Your Community" being offered by UNA's Continuing Studies and Outreach on Friday, October 17, 2008, at Lake Guntersville State Park Resort, 1155 Lodge Dr., Guntersville, AL 35976.  This course meets the six-hour requirement for recertification in the CAPZO program.

Items of discussion: Sign Regulations:  How to draft, get approved and enforce them.

Manufactured Housing in Your Community:  What Do the Federal Regulations Say and How to Draft Appropriate Regulations for your Local Zoning Code.

You can register online at www.una.edu/conted (select Planning and Zoning, Sign Regulation and Manufactured Housing in Your Community, for agenda and registration form), or contact our office at 256-765-4862 to register by phone.  Please share this email with others who may be interested.

Trowbridge’s Ice Cream and Sandwich Bar in downtown Florence is featured as one of the “50 Reasons to Love the U.S.A.” in the July edition of Travel + Leisure magazine. Trowbridge’s is Alabama’s representative on the magazine’s state-by-state guide to summer travel. “Because small-town diners can’t be beat. Florence, Alabama, a well-scrubbed town overlooking the Tennessee River, isn’t retro in that faux-Mayberry sort of way. It’s the real deal. And so is Trowbridge’s, an eight-stool lunch counter where, in 1918, Paul Trowbridge began churning and scooping orange-pineapple ice cream. Ask for their trademark egg-and-olive sandwich, and someone will toast it for you in a stainless-steel press. If you order a white-bread banana sandwich, you get a choice of mayo or peanut butter or both.” – Travel + Leisure. The orange-pineapple ice cream at Trowbridge’s is featured on the Alabama Tourism Department’s “100 dishes to eat in Alabama before you die” listing. http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/50-reasons-to-love-the-usa-south-and-southeast

Alabama is spotlighted in the latest issue of the German magazine Motorrad Und Reise.  The 100,000 circulation magazine aimed at motorcycle enthusiasts published a 13-page article tracing the writer’s southern tour through 8 states. The writer began his motorcycle tour in Orlando and continued west to the Alabama Gulf Coast where he “started the morning in Point Clear in Alabama at the first-class Grand Hotel Marriott Resort under dreamlike blue skies along the Gulf of Mexico.” Grey Brennan met with representatives from the publication at the International Travel Berlin (ITB) tourism trade show in March to make arrangements for the Alabama portion of the writer’s trip.

One of the those things that makes Your Town Alabama great is the ability to network with people to get different perspectives on the same problems. We've created two growing networks using social networking sites LinkedIn and Facebook to help Your Town alums and those interested in Your Town Alabama and preserving the unique qualities of their communities. Just click the links below to join up!

World's Ten Best Biking Trails:

No 2. Underground Railroad Bicycle Route (U.S.A./Canada)
“Upon crossing into Ohio, the route enters Canada at the Peace Bridge near Buffalo, New York. In Ontario, the route follows the shores of Lake Ontario and ends at Owen Sound, a town founded by freedom seekers in 1857.”

The Underground Railroad Bicycle Route honors the bravery of those who fled bondage and those who provided shelter. This route passes points of interest and historic sites along a 2,028-mile corridor. Beginning in Mobile, Alabama – a busy port for slavery during the pre-civil war era – the route goes north following rivers through Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Waterways, as well as the North Star, were often used by freedom seekers as a guide in their journeys to escape slavery. Upon crossing into Ohio, the route leaves the river to head toward Lake Erie and enters Canada at the Peace Bridge near Buffalo, New York. In Ontario, the route follows the shores of Lake Ontario and ends at Owen Sound, a town founded by freedom seekers in 1857. Owen Sound is located on the southern side of Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay.

http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/undergroundrailroad.cfm

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/05/worlds-top-ten-bike-rides.php

Pre-Conference Workshop. 4.5 ISA CEUs
Monday, September 8, 2008
Bruce R. Fraedrich, Ph.D., Vice President of Research
Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories, Mobile Botanical Gardens, 5151 Museum Dr. Mobile, AL 36608

Conference “Weathering Future Storms: Steps to a Storm-Resilient Community Forest”
9 ISA CEUs, Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center, Bienville Ballroom

Registration: https://ssl.acesag.auburn.edu/conference/ucfstorm2008/
Agenda:
Weathering-Future-Storms.pdf

The purpose of this project is to develop a Corridor Management Plan (CMP) for the Lookout Mountain Parkway that is consistent with the requirements laid out in the Alabama Scenic Byway Program Manual. The CMP is a key step in the Designation Phase of the Scenic Byway and it focuses on “protecting, enhancing and managing the resources identified in the Eligibility Application for both present and future conditions.”

The Alabama Scenic Byway Program encourages a “grass roots” approach to the development as well as implementation of the CMP. This approach facilitates the active participation of the community and stakeholders in the Plan, while in the process empowering them to take ownership of the Byway. The consultant, HNTB Corporation,developed the Plan through a participatory process involving the Byway’s Corridor Advocacy Group. The goal of the Lookout Mountain Parkway Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan is to provide a guide for the preservation and enhancement of this roadway and its intrinsic resources.

Real People, Real Places! Northeast Alabama’s Lookout Mountain Parkway Scenic Byway, named by Reader’s Digest as one of America’s Scenic Drives, serves as a gateway to your imagination. Envision a land where real people bring the past alive, with historic town squares, pioneer villages, confederate ironworks, antique shops and Native American folklore and artifacts. Imagine a land of real places burgeoning with untouched natural beauty, with gorges, rivers, lakes, wildlife and scenic waterfalls.

Picture a land ripe with recreational and cultural opportunities, from boating, fishing, skiing and hiking along miles of pristine trails to museums, opera houses and art galleries. All these dreams and more are here today and await visitors along Alabama’s Lookout Mountain Parkway Scenic Byway. Discover why it feels so right! The Lookout Mountain Parkway Corridor Management Plan: LMP_CMP2008.pdf (4 megs)

Florence is set to host its first ever Sweet Tea Challenge on Saturday, July 26 as an official event in the W. C. Handy Music Festival. The Sweet Tea Challenge is being sponsored by Florence/Lauderdale Tourism, Region Bank, and Y’all magazine. The “taste off” to judge the best sweet tea will be held at Regions bank across from the city’s Wilson Park. The bank building itself is a replica of the historic Forks of Cypress plantation, providing a great southern backdrop for the event. While the sweet tea is being judged there will be several games and activities taking place. Individuals, restaurants or groups interested in entering the Sweet Tea Challenge can go to the Florence/Lauderdale tourism website at www.visitflorenceal.com and download an application.

During the June Saturday Walking Tours 30 cities across Alabama conducted 120 guided tours. This was the sixth year for the free statewide walking tours held at 10 a.m. each Saturday during the month of June. Different civic leaders led the walks through the historic districts or courthouse square areas of their hometowns.
 
Governor Bob Riley praised the work of local communities in conducting this year’s Saturday Walking Tours. “Hometown pride really showed in the time and effort put in across the state,” said Riley. The top attended tours this year took place in Florence, Athens, Fairhope, Guntersville, Tuscumbia, Birmingham, Cullman, Huntsville, Mobile, Scottsboro, and Madison.  More than 2,000 participants joined the tours.
 
“Alabama is the only state in the nation to hold statewide, simultaneous walking tours,” said Brian Jones with the Alabama Tourism Department. “The Saturday Walking Tours program has proven so popular that state tourism has decided to create a year-long marketing campaign based on it. The Year of Small Towns and Downtowns will take place in 2010,” said Jones.
 
More information on the Saturday Walking Tours program is available at www.alabama.travel.  Representatives from cities and towns interested in joining the program next year can contact the Alabama Tourism Department at 1-800-Alabama.

The Central Alabama Community Foundation will hold workshops for nonprofit groups looking for grants this month. The foundation supports programs in the areas of health and human services, cultural arts, recreation, preservation and education. The workshops will be offered on July 16, July 17, July 22, and July 23. For more information, call Caroline Montgomery Clark at 334 – 264 – 6223.

By the time you finish this article, someone's back 40 will be lost to urban sprawl.  But some communities have a way to save land from development - and, it's fair to farmers.

But the evidence that urban sprawl is a problem continues to mount.  Among the many considerations:

• More then 6 million acres - an area the size of Maryland - were taken out of agriculture and developed between 1992 and 1997 (American Farmland Trust)
• Within the next 32 years, this country will add 100 million people to its popultion, bringing the total to 400 million.  How we use land in that growth will only become more of an issue.
• The argument that people have to live somewhere is easily countered by proof that we are planning spaces poorly.  From 1982 to 1997, the US population grew by 17%, but land development grew by 47% (American Farmland Trust).  Since 1994, 55% of developed land went into 10 plus acre lots.

Progressive Farmer, March 2008, pg 46

The Project for Public Spaces (PPS) has identified ten qualities that contribute to the success of great streets. Streets account for as much as a third of the land in a city, and historically, they served as public spaces for social and economic exchanges. Great streets incorporate the elements described in the list below.

• Attractions & Destinations
• Identity & Image
• Active Edge Uses
• Amenities
• Management
• Seasonal Strategies
• Diverse User Groups
• Traffic, Transit & the Pedestrian
• Blending of Uses and Modes
• Protects Neighborhoods

Each quality is described in detail at the resource link below. PPS offers many more documents on great streets -- and great places -- on its website at www.pps.org/.

Resource: http://www.pps.org/info/newsletter/great_streets/qualities_of_a_great_street

From the Smart Growth Network.

Launched in 2007, the NACo Green Government Initiative provides comprehensive resources for local governments on all things green, including energy, air quality, transportation, water quality, land use, purchasing and recycling. NACo serves as a catalyst between local governments and the private sector to facilitate green government best practices, products and policies that result in financial and environmental savings.

Through the Initiative, NACo will:

• Increase education and outreach on all things green;
• Help educate counties and help them educate the public;
• Promote environmentally-preferable purchasing;
• Facilitate an open dialogue with the private sector;
• Reverse misinformed opinions that green techniques are too costly or of lesser quality; and
• Expand to schools and cities in the second and third years of the program.

Click here to read more about this initiative, or visit the NACo website at the resource link below.

Resource: http://www.naco.org

From the Smart Growth Network.

The Alabama Forestry Commission seeks to fund a working “Green Infrastructure demonstration project where a functional intact forest is retained, restored, or rehabilitated during urban development to provide an ecological service. This project will be used as a statewide model to educate local governments, developers, and other land use professionals in how to incorporate similar “Green Infrastructure” strategies in urban development. 

For those of you who would like photos that can be printed, there is a large (and slow-to-load) slideshow with over 100 images located here. Simply click on the image you want and it will open up in another browser window. For those of you who simply want to enjoy a few photos, just watch the slideshow below!

Lee Sentell, director of the Alabama Tourism Department, said the state has benefited as folks stay closer to home this summer. While tourism nationally is reportedly down 3 percent from last year, Alabama has seen tourism revenue rise 3 percent so far in 2008, he said. Alabama tourism expenditures hit a record $9.3 billion last year, up 10 percent from 2006. Though it is unlikely Alabama will maintain the momentum of the double-digit increases of past two years, Sentell said Alabama is faring much better than many other states.
 
"Most Birmingham area families who traditionally vacation at Alabama's beaches won't cancel a trip this summer solely because gasoline cost more than last year," he said. "At $4.07 a gallon, a family traveling from Birmingham would only pay about $45 more and a family from Montgomery only $23 more than last year." Rather than being hurt by gasoline prices, Sentell said Alabama's beaches might actually be attracting more families who traditionally travel to central Florida. "Our beaches have an 85 percent return rate, which is among the highest loyalty rates among the nation's top destinations," Sentell said. http://www.al.com/business/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/business/1214554574111250.xml&coll=2

From the article “Alabama tourism officials marketing state as a cost-efficient vacation destination: Officials capitalize on rising gasoline costs” by Roy L. Williams

By July 2008 RPC member governments should receive their FY2009 funding packet which will include an application to participate in the FY2009 funding cycle.  This program is designed to assist county and municipal governments within RPC’s planning area which includes Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, and Walker Counties with the development, adoption, and implementation of various community planning projects.  Grant funds will be used to provide local governments with planning assistance for the development of comprehensive plans, area plans such as town center and neighborhood studies, and management tools such as zoning ordinances and subdivision regulations.  Funds can also be used to undertake relevant studies and analyses including economic, retail/market, historic preservation, and transportation-related analyses.  Each local government will be required to match the dollars requested in its grant applications.  In addition to direct mail, information will be posted on our website www.rpcgb.org by July 1, 2008. 

The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham in partnership with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Marketing & Industrial Distribution and the Alabama Retail Association invite you to MARK YOUR CALENDAR for Tuesday, Sept. 23! That is the date for the 2008 Retail Day.   The program will include a morning panel discussion from 9:00 am to 11:00 am, focusing on “Retail as Economic Development.”  The keynote speaker for the awards lunch will be Martin MacDonald with Bass Pro Shops. The morning seminar, luncheon and awards program will be at The Club, 1 Robert Smith Drive, Birmingham.  The panel discussion on “Retail as Economic Development” will dig into the issues that concern many emerging communities. The panel will discuss relevant topics in today’s retail market including,
·         What are retailers with a centralized plan going to do to withstand the economic conditions and gas prices?
·         Can we expect to see smaller stores pop up closer to where people live?
·         Will we see more neighborhood markets and fewer super centers?
·         What can we do to entice retailers to blaze new trails into our more rural trade areas while we are in an economic downturn – without giving away the bank?
·         The future of Brick and Mortar vs. Internet Retailing
·         Importance of retail development in a  community’s economic well being
·         Strategies for retail economic development in Alabama
The cost for the day’s activities will be $75 for the Retail Awards Luncheon and the panel discussion.   For more information, contact:  Cassandra Walker walkerc@uab.edu 205.934.8840