Over the last two years the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau, the state certified regional destination marketing and management organization team members have been meeting with public lands and attraction managers operating along the 33-mile Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway. These forums have produced listening sessions and idea exchanges with area open space practitioners to accurately identify their challenges, aspirations, priorities, and capacity.

Last year, our national scenic byway celebrated its 25th year. The original Byway Corridor Management Plan was completed in 2007 by the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway Council and is due for an update. Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau is the leading agency for updating and administering the Byway Corridor Management Plan.

An up-to-date proactive management and action plan can articulate an integrated management platform that can account for and track completion of all land and attraction managing entities and make it easier for byway supporters to be successful advocates for protecting and enriching the intrinsic values of the byway corridor and advancing legitimate and thoughtful improvements.

Our scenic byway corridor is blessed with a large, protected footprint of safely accessible and unique public lands. Collectively the US Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Sate Parks, Conservation Areas, and land trust properties manage over 38,000 acres of protected accessible public open space along the byway corridor. In addition to our public lands, we have several special unique natural assets and attractions managed privately including Aerie’s Resort, Raging Rivers Water Park, Eckert’s Orchard, 137 miles of accessible bike trails and hiking trails, and numerous hunting clubs.

Much has been done over the last 25 years to protect and sustain the intrinsic values and heritage of this national treasure. Likewise, several key facilities have been completed to build a viable destination brand built on quality outdoor recreation experiences, wellness and active living, and an enduring appreciation for the national importance of our Great Rivers Confluence Region.

Over that same period, Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau began to witness challenges and lost opportunities to update or modernize key existing facilities, address nagging backlog maintenance issues, and seize timely opportunities that can further activate this corridor in a manner compatible with the spirit of the national scenic byway designation.

Beyond the National Scenic Byway designation, our Mississippi River Water Trail for paddlers was recognized in 2014 as the 2nd National Water Trail, the National Great Rivers Museum completed in 2003 just celebrated its 20th anniversary our nationally recognized important bird area the Rivers Migratory Bird Sanctuary will celebrate its 35th anniversary next year, we have the National Lewis and Clark Trail and Historic Sites, the Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower in Hartford, Alton and Grafton Marinas, the American Bottoms Natural Heritage Area, we have the largest riverside State Park in Illinois at Pere Marquette in Grafton, a functional ferry system queued for reinvestment, and a blossoming leisure port with cruise ship usage exploding.

Since 2020, visitor spending in the region has increased by $100 Million dollars. Visitor spending related to outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism has increased by 22% over the past two years. Soon we will be able to add a new Byway Discovery Center that will orient visitors and residents to the history and culture of our working river region while also making visitors aware of outdoor active living opportunities, related festivals, and an introduction to our river corridor communities, and ten kayak kiosk rental stations along the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers in Madison, Jersey, and Calhoun Counties.

We are committed to utilizing this byway plan update to serve as a convening tool and platform to truly activate the byway corridor in a legitimate and tempered manner that celebrates its rich heritage and our regional byway corridor communities, and creates an action plan that calls proper attention to the good work of our Federal, State, and local land managing partners, provides us with the tools to support their efforts, and foster a heightened level of regionalism and regional cooperation to build a new livability that aligns with community building values and aspirations.
Over the next weeks and months, you will be hearing more about this Byway Corridor Activation strategy.

Recently, residents, employers, and officials in our bureau service area have been asking for an opinion on the idea of a proposed National Park. On behalf of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau Board of Directors we oppose the establishment of a traditional National Park, or the more recent and novel partnership park, or any other device that would brand areas already under the management and control of other Federal, State, or local agencies and organizations as a national park or national recreation area. Chasing a park will only detract from efforts to effectively protect, preserve, and promote our Great Rivers Confluence region and support the practitioners out there in the trenches that have faithfully and effectively managed them for years. We are also not confident that over time a national park designation might not erode the ability of our resident population to access and enjoy these existing public lands and waters in a manner they have enjoyed in the past that is vital for local communities, their livability, and economic well-being.

Again, we have real concerns about the potential impact on wildlife management and public lands stewardship that could be affected by inserting the national park service and muddying the mandate that the US Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish & Wildlife, and IDNR have to manage these natural resources. We believe that conservation efforts can be more effectively achieved through local initiatives that engage residents and respect their needs, and we have too many sites, attractions, accessibility issues to our rivers, silt problems, invasive species, safety for bikers, and product upgrades that are necessary to keep up with the demand of the growing visitor and active living economy

We challenge you to engage early and join this important effort. For more information or to learn about the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway and ongoing and recent efforts to sustain and steward our byway corridor and open space please email me at cjobe@riversandroutes.com. Thank you.

Cory M Jobe
President & CEO
Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau