Section 306D.2. Statewide scenic highways program — objectives and agency duties.

  1.  The state department of transportation shall prepare a statewide, long-range plan for the protection, enhancement, and identification of highways and secondary roads which pass through unusually scenic areas of the state as identified in section 306D.1. The department of natural resources, department of economic development, and department of cultural affairs, private organizations, county conservation boards, city park and recreation departments, and the federal agencies having jurisdiction over land in the state shall be encouraged to assist in preparing the plan. The plan shall be coordinated with the state’s open space plan if a state open space plan has been approved by the general assembly. The plan shall include, but is not limited to, the following elements:

  a.  Preparation of a statewide inventory of scenic routes and ranking of relative uniqueness for each route. The degree to which these routes suffer from negative visual intrusions shall be documented.

  b.  Recommended techniques for preserving and enhancing the scenic qualities associated with each route.

  c.  Forecasts of significant changes in traffic volumes and environmental, social, and economic impacts if scenic routes are publicly identified and promoted as tourism attractions.

  d.  Recommended techniques for incorporating scenic highway routes in state and local tourism development and marketing programs.

  e.  Landscape management needs including maintenance, rehabilitation, and improvements to scenic areas.

  f.  Funding levels needed to accomplish the statewide scenic highway program.

  g.  Recommendations of how federal and state transportation programs can be modified or developed to assist the state’s scenic highway program.

  2.  The preparation of the plan is subject to an appropriation by the general assembly for that purpose. The plan shall be submitted to the general assembly by January 15, 1988. Prior to submission of the plan to the general assembly, the department shall request comments on the proposed plan from state agencies, federal agencies, and private organizations with interests in scenic highways. The comments shall be submitted to the general assembly.

87 Acts, ch 175, §2

; 2011 Acts, ch 118, §85, 89

; 2012 Acts, ch 1021, §64

Duties of former department of economic development were assumed by economic development authority beginning July 1, 2011, pursuant to 2011 Acts, ch 118