On Friday, October 26, 2007, Scenic Virginia paid tribute to the recipients of its 2007 Scenic Awards.

The ceremony for the Fifth Annual event was held at the historic Kent-Valentine House in Richmond. In attendance were the 2007 Award winners, State legislators, State agency heads, local elected officials, Scenic Virginia Board members, and special guests.

In welcoming the capacity crowd, President Eugenia Anderson-Ellis of Richmond noted that the organization had recently increased its focus on scenic viewsheds, stating, "Viewsheds are something you'll be hearing a lot about -- today and in the coming year!"

Executive Director Leighton Powell recapped the successful 2007 legislative Session, noting that each year Scenic Virginia monitors legislation for bills that could affect Virginia's scenic assets and viewsheds. When these are threatened, she said, we are compelled to step forward to defend them. For the past few years, that has meant opposing harmful legislation sponsored by the powerful and wealthy billboard industry.

In 2007, for the first time in Scenic Virginia's existence, the organization killed or had vetoed harmful, special-interest billboard legislation that could damage our scenic viewsheds, including those in historic districts.

Also, Scenic Virginia successfully sponsored a resolution celebrating the historic panoramic view from Libby Hill Park in Richmond that was the basis for the naming of Richmond. Delegate Jennifer L. McClellan of Richmond was recognized for serving as the resolution's patron. In addition, Leighton offered thanks to three state legislators in attendance -- Senator Creigh Deeds and Delegates Brian Moran and Chris Peace -- for their help during the Session.

Scenic Virginia initiated the Scenic Awards program in 2003 to recognize excellence in scenic conservation efforts and to encourage others to replicate the projects elsewhere. The organization feels great pride in the continuing work of past Award winners, and hopes that the 2007 winners will inspire others, as follows:

Scenic Viewshed Preservation Award (TIE):
Route 50 Traffic-Calming Project
and
Scenic 340 Project

While past awards have celebrated the preservation of significant viewsheds such as those at Monticello and the Blue Ridge Parkway, this year Scenic Virginia decided to take a different tack: In addition to honoring worthy projects, we are recognizing a valuable planning tool that results in viewshed preservation along Virginia's beautiful roadways.

Context Sensitive Design is a planning process in which a road's many stakeholders ñ the Virginia Department of Transportation, the localities, concerned citizens, historians, environmental experts, property owners, farmers, commuters, and local business people ñ are brought together prior to the design of any road improvements or expansions. By listening to each other and working together to hear all concerns, the coalition can address potential conflicts in the early stages. The ultimate result for Context Sensitive Design is a road plan that provides for the safety and convenience of motorists while incorporating and respecting an area's scenic, cultural, and historic assets.

The Route 50 Traffic-Calming Project is widely acknowledged by the FHWA and VDOT to be the first road project involving Context-Sensitive Design. In 1994, citizens and community organizations along Route 50 in Loudoun and Fauquier counties formed a coalition to oppose a proposed VDOT bypass that would widen and flatten the rolling hills, as well as destroy historic elements, along this 24-mile-long corridor 30 miles west of Washington, D.C. in a section of the Virginia Piedmont known as the Mosby Heritage Area.

Through participation with VDOT in a number of community workshops, the Route 50 Corridor Coalition developed the Traffic Calming Plan for Virginia's Rural Route 50 Corridor, an award-winning document whose stated vision was "a scenic, unique, rural community in an historical, agricultural, quiet and natural setting." From there, the Coalition successfully petitioned VDOT and FHWA to develop a physical plan and design for the road that was consistent with their Traffic Calming Plan's goals.

A unique aspect of the project was the appointment of the Route 50 Task Force by the State Secretary of Transportation. This citizen group actively participates in project planning, funding and design decisions.

Most recently, the project has moved from the phase of converting the community goals in the Concept Plan into detailed Design Plans that are now leading to construction documents. All in all, the experiment has been a success, proving that collaboration and communication are the keys to any healthy relationship.

Accepting the Award for the Route 50 Traffic-Calming Project were Susan Van Wagoner of the Route 50 Corridor Coalition, Jim Rich of the Route 50 Traffic-Calming Advisory Task Force, and Jan Vaughan and Billy Green of VDOT. Presenting the Award was Scenic Virginia Trustee Eve Fout of Middleburg.

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The Scenic 340 Project was instrumental in preserving the viewshed on Route 340 from Front Royal to Luray when VDOT proposed converting the road from two lanes to four. The group worked with VDOT and were successful in reducing the width of the bridge at Overall from the originally proposed 84 feet wide to 44 feet wide. In addition, the 60-foot high embankments facing the South Fork of the Shenandoah River will now be covered with topsoil and planted with native species rather than left as exposed rock. Bridge projects will receive the same faux-stone railings, rustic guard rails, and four-foot paved shoulders for bicyclists, plus six feet of stabilized grass shoulders beyond to minimize the road impact. Native grasses will be planted in much of the disturbed areas.

Scenic 340 proposed the use of Context Sensitive Solutions to maintain the character of the roadway, which runs parallel to the Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive to the east with some sections in the viewshed of the Park. The road also runs along the Shenandoah River, under historic railway bridges, and through historic battlefields. Working with VDOT, Scenic 340 Project is planning to hold a conference which will ensure that future road improvement projects improve the safety of the highway while also maintaining the historic and scenic character of the road.

The Scenic 340 Project has helped to protect over 1,300 acres in the Overall area of the Route 340 corridor by facilitating permanent conservation easements. This protected land forms a wildlife corridor connecting the Shenandoah National Park with the George Washington National Forest. The group also worked to have the Overall/Milford Civil War Battlefield listed as a Virginia and National Historic Site, and they wrote and published a book describing the battles there.

Accepting the Award for the Scenic 340 Project were Fred Andreae, president of Scenic 340; Christine Andreae; Jim Guy; and Tom Lockhart. Presenting the Award was Scenic Virginia Trustee, The Hon. Sally H. Thomas of Albemarle County.

Scenic Viewshed Preservation - Special Recognition:
Historic Polegreen Church Foundation

The Historic Polegreen Church Foundation was recognized for their extraordinary efforts to restore the viewshed of the original site of Historic Polegreen Church in Hanover County. The current site features an architectural rendering of the original church structure. Recently, the Foundation has taken steps to begin restoring the original viewshed, including the purchase and re-siting of contemporary houses that can be seen from the site. The Historic Polegreen Church site is a planned stop on the Road to Revolution Trail, currently in development.

Accepting the Award were Bob Bluford, president of the Historic Polegreen Church Foundation, and Delegate Chris Peace, the organization's executive director. Presenting the Award was Scenic Virginia Trustee and Officer John J. Zeugner of Richmond.

Scenic Water Corridor Preservation Award:
Goose Creek Scenic River Advisory Committee

The intent of the Virginia Scenic Rivers Program is to identify, designate and help protect rivers and streams that possess outstanding scenic, recreational, historic and natural characteristics of statewide significance for future generations.

For more than 30 years, the Goose Creek Scenic River Advisory Committee has worked to preserve and conserve the corridor of Goose Creek, a designated State Scenic River, from its crossing of the Appalachian Trail in Fauquier County to its confluence with the Potomac River in Loudoun County. Not content to rest on their laurels, though, the group has recently formed a partnership with the Fauquier Goose Creek Scenic River Task Force to designate 20 additional miles of State Scenic River.

Accepting the Award were Helen Casey of the Goose Creek Scenic Advisory Committee; Richard Gibbons, Chair of the State Scenic River Advisory Board; and Lynn Crump, Environmental Program Planner with the Department of Conservation & Recreation. Presenting the Award was Scenic Virginia Trustee of Martha Wertz of Alexandria.

Scenic Water Corridor Preservation Award - Honorable Mention:
Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority

The Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority and their partners were honored for working to conserve the habitat corridor and public access connectivity of the beautiful -- and mostly privately-owned -- 89,000 acres of the Dragon Run Watershed in Essex, King and Queen, Middlesex, and Gloucester counties.

Accepting the Award on behalf of the Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority were Ronald Hachey and Jacquie Shapo. Presenting the Award was Scenic Virginia Trustee Peter Hunt of Zanoni.

Creative Scenic Enhancement Award:
The Journey Through Hallowed Ground

Scenic Virginia uses the Creative Scenic Enhancement Award to recognize people and projects that find creative ways to harness the Commonwealth's scenic, natural and historic assets for economic development.

The Journey Through Hallowed Ground is a 175-mile corridor extraordinarily rich in history, culture, and natural beauty that originates in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; travels south along Route 15 through Frederick County, Maryland and into Virginia; and then culminates at Monticello and Route 20 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The Journey has spent the past several years garnering support and consensus for this important corridor. Scenic Virginia has chosen to honor them at this time because of their recently-announced plans to seek the National Scenic Byway designation.

Scenic Virginia served as the statewide coordinator of the effort to bring the National Scenic Byways to the Commonwealth after the program had been in existence for nearly a decade. Three years ago, that hard work was recognized with the designation of four new National Scenic Byways. Scenic Virginia will be doing everything it can to make the Journey Through Hallowed Ground the fifth National Scenic Byway. It was noted that earlier this week, the U. S. House of Representatives passed legislation to create the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area.

Accepting the Creative Scenic Enhancement Award for the Journey Through Hallowed Ground was Beth Erickson. Presenting the Award was Scenic Virginia Trustee Jane Sale Henley of Keswick.

Scenic Virginia salutes the ability of others to utilize our natural, historic, cultural, and scenic resources in unique ways that revitalize tourism prospects for Virginia localities. The Virginia Indian Heritage Trail is a publication that does just that.

This book was created by members of Virginia's tribes, and represents best practices in cultural heritage tourism by encouraging visitation to scenic sites that have culturally-sensitive information on Virginia Indians while providing an interpretive framework in which to understand the sites. The project partners were the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, Virginia Council on Indians, Virginia Tourism Corporation, Jamestown 2007, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and the Virginia General Assembly for their support.

Accepting the inaugural Scenic Tourism Award for the Virginia Indian Heritage Trail were Karenne Wood, the publication's editor; Sheryl Hayes of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities; and Deanna Beacham of the Virginia Council on Indians. Presenting the Award was Scenic Virginia Trustee Katherine T. Mears of Eastville.

Local Anti-Litter Awards:

Organizational Winner: Assign-A-Highway Program
and
Individual Winner: Bill Larkins

All can agree that roadside litter detracts from the scenic beauty of Virginia. The first glimpse of the Commonwealth that many visitors experience is from Virginia's roads, making it vitally important that there be creative solutions to this problem. In some cases, educating our citizens is the best solution.

Local Anti-Litter Award -- Organizational: In 2004, Leesburg Vice-Mayor Susan Horne and Councilmember Kelly Burk worked with Keep Loudoun Beautiful, local residents, and businesses to coordinate a comprehensive community clean-up and environmental campaign. "Keep Leesburg Beautiful," the town-wide community clean-up and beautification program, has been held annually for three years. It starts with a kick-off celebration on the Town Green, followed by two weeks of community service projects and year-round educational outreach on recycling, litter prevention, tree planting, and stormwater management. The program's goal is to increase environmental education, reduce litter, encourage civic activism, and preserve and protect Leesburg's unique, historic community.

Accepting the Organizational Award for Keep Leesburg Beautiful were Leesburg Vice Mayor Susan Horne and Council Member Kelly Burk. Presenting the Award was Scenic Virginia Vice President Deborah Dull of Eggleston.

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Local Anti-Litter Award -- Individual: The honoree in the Individual category is Bill Larkins of Covington, who in his retirement from the U.S. Patent Office has chosen to dedicate a significant amount of his time to cleaning up the scenic roads bisecting the George Washington National Forest in Bath, Allegheny and Highland counties.

Bill has invested his own money to purchase a winch to pull large items from steep road embankments, and a trailer to haul the trash away. Some of the areas he cleans are so steep that he has had to purchase rock climbing gear to enable him to get up and down the embankments safely. Although he picks up all the trash he finds, his specialties are appliances and tires. The U.S. Forest Service estimates that Bill has been personally responsible for cleaning up an estimated 36,000 lbs. of trash from several dozen illegal dump sites.

Accepting the Individual Award was Bill Larkins, with help from Mark Healey and Sharon Mohney of the U.S. Forest Service. Presenting the Award was Scenic Virginia Trustee Frank Lingo Calhoun, Esq. of Churchville.

VDOT Tree-Trimming Award:
Staunton VDOT District

Scenic Virginia's successful 2002 legislation led to the development of new statewide standards for the trimming of trees along Virginia's roadsides. Scenic Virginia developed this Award category to recognize a VDOT District that goes the extra mile to keep our roadsides scenic while still addressing objectives such as clearance, safety, and sight distance.

The 2007 winner is the Staunton VDOT District for carefully adhering to the Commonwealth's tree-trimming policy while selectively removing trees in the "clear zone" along Interstates 64, 66, and 81 in Frederick, Shenandoah, Warren, Rockingham, Augusta, Rockbridge and Alleghany counties. The "clear zone" is an unobstructed, relatively flat area for an errant vehicle leaving the roadway to be able to recover. Clear zones are defined by a formula and table issued by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) using road design speed, rate of slope along the roadway shoulder and average daily traffic volumes.

Of the trees that had to be removed, only nine were dogwoods and five were redbuds. New plantings to mitigate the loss of these dogwood and redbud trees will be done in areas along the interstate roads that are outside the clear zone. In addition, supplemental seedling plantings will be performed next spring in non-hazardous locations.

What makes the Staunton District special is that they recognize the importance of good communication, and they are continually reaching out to local citizen groups to educate them about something before it happens and to follow up after it occurs. In this case, they have continued to communicate with local groups regarding the replanting of new trees, and recently made the responsible decision to delay the replanting until next spring to give new seedlings a better chance of survival during the current drought conditions. All of these efforts result in travel corridors that provide safety to motorists while preserving the beauty of Virginia's roadsides.

Accepting the Award for the Staunton VDOT District were District Administrator Garrett Moore and Roadside Manager Scott Nye. Presenting the Award was Scenic Virginia Chairman Hylah Boyd of Richmond.

Scenic Hero Award:
Lady Bird Johnson
(awarded posthumously)

Scenic Virginia reserves the Scenic Hero Award a citizen, elected official, or organization that has accomplished something extraordinary or that has a long history of work on scenic conservation issues. The 2007 honoree was Lady Bird Johnson.

The former First Lady, widely recognized as the founder of the scenic conservation movement in the United States, was honored for her lifetime commitment to scenic beauty and her untiring efforts to educate Americans about the importance of beauty in our lives. Although she lived in Texas, she enjoyed a close connection to Virginia through her daughter and son-in-law, Lynda and Charles Robb. A longtime family friend, Beth Gibbens of Middleburg, accepted the Award on behalf of the Robb family.

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President Eugenia Anderson-Ellis concluded the ceremony by announcing the creation of the Lady Bird Johnson Highway Beautification Award, to be given in future years. She added that that Scenic Virginia will introduce a resolution honoring Lady Bird Johnson's lifetime commitment to scenic conservation and her connection to Virginia during the upcoming 2008 General Assembly Session.