New planning initiative launched for Iowa Great River Road; Stakeholder meetings scheduled

Since its designation by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation as one of only 150 National Scenic Byways in the United States, Iowa Great River Road projects have been awarded nearly eight million dollars in grants throughout the 10 Iowa counties which border the Mississippi River. Projects supported by these grants include the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, the Clinton County Eco Tourism Center,  the Louisa Interpretive Center in Louisa County, the restoration of the Fort Madison Depot, the expansion of the E.B. Lyons Interpretive Center in Dubuque, the marina in downtown Guttenberg, and a variety of trails and bike paths.
The Iowa Great River Road is managed by the Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commission, an organization created by the State of Iowa to steward and promote the route. The Commission’s members each reside in one of the 10 Iowa Mississippi River counties and are appointed by the Governor. The Iowa Great River Road is an important segment of the 10-state, 3,000-mile long national Great River Road meandering on both sides of the Mississippi River from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. The National Mississippi River Parkway Commission and the Great River Road were established in 1938 under President Franklin Roosevelt.
John Goodmann, Chair of the Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commission, emphasizes, “The Iowa Great River Road is a world-class destination for travelers with its abundant natural and cultural resources, international history, and many recreation opportunities. It’s also a great place to live, work and play. For over a decade the Iowa Great River Road has attracted millions of dollars in federal, state and local funding because of this appeal. Now the Commission needs all of its stakeholders to help plan the Great River Road’s next chapter of growth and effectiveness.”
The business and development plan for a byway is technically called a “corridor management plan”, a document which guides a wide range of activities including resource protection, marketing, partnership organizing, and strategies for sharing the unique culture and history of the byway. The original Iowa Great River Road Corridor Management Plan was written in 2000 and has supported many communities and organizations in their efforts to secure federal funding and local dollars to develop projects throughout the 10 counties.
The Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commission was awarded a National Scenic Byway Program grant in 2011 to update the aging plan and has hired the firm of David L. Dahlquist Associates of Des Moines, a national leader in byway planning, to develop a new corridor management plan for the Iowa Great River Road. The planning process will take approximately two to three years and will focus on building and strengthening partnerships throughout the region and identifying innovative strategies for attracting visitors and enhancing the livability of communities along the Iowa Great River Road.
“Every Mississippi River community, county, economic development group, public agency and non-profit organization has a stake in the future of the Iowa Great River Road. Their representatives need to voice their ideas for how the Great River Road can best serve stakeholders and visa versa,” urged Patsy Ramacitti, long-time member and leader of the Iowa and National Mississippi River Parkway Commission.
Informative stakeholder meetings, 90 minutes in length, are being held to explain the process and gather initial input. The following is a list of stakeholder meeting dates, locations and times. Organization representatives and interested citizens are encouraged to attend whichever session is most convenient, regardless of where they live. Participants are also encouraged to attend more than one session. The meeting schedule follows:
• Monday, March 26: Des Moines County Heritage Center, 501 North Fourth Street,  Burlington; 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 28: Bettendorf Library, 2950 Learning Campus Drive, Bettendorf; 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 10: McGregor-Marquette Center for the Arts, 158 Main Street, McGregor; 3 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 11: Historic Federal Building, Second Floor, Dubuque: 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Thursday, April 12: Clinton County Eco Tourism Center, Rock Creek Marina & Campground, 3942 Shafton Road, Camanche; 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 24: Riverview Center, 110 Harbor Drive,  Muscatine; 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Questions about the Iowa Great River Road Corridor Management Plan update can be directed to John Goodmann at 563-556-3232 or David L. Dahlquist Associates at 515-528-8182 or ddahlquist@mchsi.com.