Learn of Bayshore Heritage Byway Plan Tonight

SWAINTON — On Jan. 10 at 7 p.m., the state Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting in the Cape May County Administration Building, 4 Moore Road, to inform the public about the proposed Bayshore Heritage Byway.
The Byway is a route through unique natural and historically significant landscapes along southern New Jersey’s “western shore.” The proposed Byway through Salem, Cumberland and Cape May counties offers travelers a multitude of destinations to explore the Bayshore’s natural, historic and cultural assets.
Offering views of the Delaware River and Bay, marshlands, wildlife, farm fields, historic architecture and evidence of past and present industries inextricably tied to land and water, the Bayshore Heritage Byway is seeking nomination for designation as a New Jersey Scenic Byway through the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). Funding for this project was provided through the Federal Highway Administration’s National Scenic Byways Discretionary Grant Program.
The proposed Byway complements the New Jersey Audubon Birding and Wildlife Trail and shares some destinations with the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route, a National Park Service initiative. Designation as a New Jersey Byway will provide another important tool to assist in protecting, improving and promoting the places and features that characterize the Bayshore region’s uniquelandscapes. The Byway also can become a destination onto itself, an enjoyable way for residents and visitors to explore the region by car,bike and on foot.
Process
This one-year project will engage both public and private stakeholders in refining the route, inventorying and mapping the Byway’s intrinsic qualities and proposing themes that best describe the Byway’s character. Finally, with assistance from a Bayshore Heritage Byway (BHB) Advisory Group, endorsements for the Byway will be secured from counties, municipalities and key stakeholder organizations to complete the nomination process.
On completion of the Inventory and Assessment, a Byway-wide workshop will be held to review the findings that will support the State Scenic Byways application. With endorsements from governmental agencies with jurisdiction over the Byway route, the application will be submitted to NJDOT on behalf of the BHB Advisory Group and partner organizations. Approval of the application will launch on-going coordination to establish the Bayshore Heritage Byway and formalize sponsorship. Formal designation will open new doors for funding, technical assistance, and collaboration on implementation for an exciting New Jersey destination the Bayshore Heritage Byway.
More information about the Byway is available on the Web site: www.bayshoreheritagebyway.org