Request for YOUR letter of support

Kitsap County is requesting YOUR letter of support for the Washington State designation of Heritage Tour Route for the Mosquito Fleet Byway along the eastern shore of the Kitsap Peninsula linking many of the former Mosquito Fleet docks.

If you would like to write a letter of support on behalf of yourself, an organization, association or community, please address it to: Kitsap County Department of Public Works, Transportation Planner - Attention: Bill Zapancic - 614 Division ST - MS 26 - Port Orchard, WA 09366.

Below are some of the current letters of support:
City of Bainbridge Island
City of Bremerton
City of Poulsbo
City of Port Orchard
US Senator Patty Murry
West Sound Cycling Club
Kitsap County Historical Society Museum

Meeting to explain Heritage Tour Route and National Scenic Byway programs

PORT ORCHARD — Kitsap County Public Works is hosting a meeting to gather stakeholders and continue the bid to designate the Mosquito Fleet Trail as a Heritage Tour Route through the National Scenic Byways program. Designation through this program provides assistance through grants and helps develop and promote the route.

When: Tuesday, December 5, 2006,
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Where: Island Lake – John Horsley Community Center

Who:
Grant Griffin, Executive Director, Kitsap Peninsula Visitor & Convention Bureau
Bill Zupancic, Transportation Planner, Kitsap County Public Works
Terry Reckord, Macleod Reckord Landscape Architecture
Bob Ulsh, Local Mossquito Fleet Historian
Representatives from Washington State Department of Transportation

Bill Zupancic provides an overview of the designation process, Grant Griffin explains the marketing strategies used to promote a Heritage Tour Route, and Terry Reckord gives the specific requirements needed for a Heritage Tour Route designation.

The National Scenic Byways program is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The Program is a grass-roots collaborative effort established to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States. The program was established in 1991. Since then, the National Scenic Byways Program provided almost $300,000,000 for 1,665 byway projects, State or nationally designated, in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

An on-line questionnaire/blog has been established to seek input from county residents concerning the designation of the Mosquito Fleet Trail as a Heritage Tour Route through the State Scenic Byways Program. Take the survey at the Kitsap Peninsula Visitor & Convention Bureau website.

Mosquito Fleet Trail survey

Please take the survey!

We invite you to provide your input on the Mosquito Fleet Scenic Byway proposal. Please take a few minutes and take the survey and let us know what you think. The results of the survey will help Kitsap County decide how they will proceed.

• Complete Trail Map
• Kitsap County Mosquito Fleet information
• TAKE THE SURVEY NOW!

Mosquito Fleet Scenic Byway Proposal

Many of our readers may be familiar with plans to develop the Mosquito Fleet Trail, which generally traces the county’s eastern shoreline from Southworth north to Kingston. The trail plan will also provide safe pedestrian and bike routes between neighborhoods, schools, parks and retail areas. It is being implemented over time as part of a larger recreational, non-motorized transportation and open space plan for Kitsap County.

In addition to the Mosquito Fleet Trail, Kitsap County is currently pursuing “Scenic Byway” status for the Mosquito Fleet corridor, meaning that the route would be designated a scenic driving route for visitors and tourists across the state. Kitsap is pursuing this status to make the corridor and related capital improvements, eligible for funding from additional sources. Development of the Mosquito Fleet Trail may benefit from this designation as well.

The Mosquito Fleet Scenic Byway may be an amazing tool for bringing to light the colorful history of local and trans-Sound ferries that were the Peninsula’s main means of transport for over 75 years. While many visitors initially may be drawn to the route for its scenic qualities, the story of early marine travel may quickly unfold and develop through a series of improved interpretive displays. The often rustic surroundings may be drawn into the storyline as well, helping to illustrate the history and nature of early white settlement along the shoreline. The natural setting and terrain, in many areas along the route largely undisturbed, may also be tied into the unfolding story. And, other, later developments in marine exploration and navigation, such as at Bangor, Keyport and Bremerton, illustrate the local area’s regional and national significance in marine travel.

To date, a Corridor Management Plan has been prepared for the route, and public meetings are being planned to introduce the project to county residents and businesses. For meeting schedules and updates on the Scenic Byway proposal, see the Kitsap County website - Public Works - Mosquito Fleet. If you wish to make any comments on the plan, please post here.