Oregon bicycle riders can now nominate their favorite routes for consideration as State Scenic Bikeways.
Such designated bikeways would follow roads and bicycle paths that connect riders with outstanding scenic, historic and natural settings.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) will accept nominations through Jan. 31, 2010, and annually from Nov. 1 - Jan. 31 thereafter.
An Oregon Scenic Bikeways handbook is now online at www.oregonscenicbikeways.org and gives a step-by-step designation process and provides instructions and forms for nominators.
Nominations will be considered by the Oregon Scenic Bikeway Committee, an advisory group that will recommend scenic bikeway designations to the OPRD director.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission must give final approvals.
The Oregon program is the first state government-sanctioned scenic bikeway designation process in the nation.
The program is a partnership between Cycle Oregon, Travel Oregon, the Oregon Department of Transportation and OPRD.
The Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway, which was developed as a 2005 pilot project by the partnership, serves as a prototype for the program. The Willamette Valley route has been officially recognized as Oregon's first state scenic bikeway.
For more information on the Scenic Bikeways program, contact Alexandra Phillips at 503.986.0631 or alex.phillips@state.or.us