The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill (THUD) for the 2025 fiscal year — which provides $98.737 billion in total discretionary funding — by a 28-1 vote on July 25, 2024. Significantly, the Committee allotted $20 million in funding for the National Scenic Byways Program (NSBP), a summary of which can be found here.

This decision marks the fifth consecutive year the NSBP has received funding from the Senate Appropriations Committee, showing their continued dedication to this critical program. By contrast, House appropriators have failed to provide any funding for the NSBP in their two most recent THUD bills.

“We are excited and relieved by this development from the Senate,” said Scenic America President Mark Falzone. “They continue to recognize the importance of America’s byways as historical and cultural landmarks, as well as conduits for economic development by way of tourism and commerce. Our nation’s byways tell the story of America, and we are grateful that the Senate can see this as well.”

Despite being allocated $20 million by the Senate in FY24, the final version of the Congressional spending bill included $7.5 million for the NSBP when it was signed by the president earlier this year. Prior Congressional funding for the NSBP was $20 million for FY23, $6 million for FY22, and $16 million in FY21 to jumpstart the dormant program.

Since being revitalized in 2019, Scenic America has helped secure just shy of $50 million for the program, $22.8 million of which has already been distributed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in the form of byways grants. If the Senate’s $20 million allocation is approved in a final spending bill, the total amount of funding Scenic America has helped secure for the NSBP will rise to nearly $70 million.

“We are expecting another interesting appropriations process before all is said and done,” said Falzone. “With this being an election year, there are many uncertainties, and we will most likely not see a vote on a final FY25 Congressional appropriations bill until December at the earliest, with presidential signatures to hopefully come soon after.”

Scenic America is especially grateful to Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations Sen. Susan Collins (R-MA), Chair of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Ranking Member of the Senate Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MI) for these initial developments.

Scenic America is at the forefront of advocacy for America’s scenic byways to ensure that they remain a funded and functioning program now and into the future. Routine funding for the NSBP ensures a continued grants process that provides critical funding opportunities for byways programs across the country.

Scenic byways are important in allowing people to connect with the aesthetic value of national parks, mountains, shorelines, deserts, forests, and small communities throughout the country, making scenic beauty accessible for all Americans. They are also important economic factors in the country by encouraging tourism, driving economic development, and creating jobs. The NSBP ensures the long-term preservation and recognition of roads that have immense scenic, historic, cultural, archaeological, natural and recreational values.

The NSBP, administered through the Federal Highway Administration, was established by Congress in 1991 under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) to recognize and protect historic, archaeological, recreational, natural, scenic, and culturally important roads, and to promote tourism and economic development. Congress strengthened the program further with the passage of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) in 1998 and subsequently with the passage of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), in 2005.

Scenic America continues to advocate for the program’s long-term funding and a regular designation process, including funding for the NSBP from the House of Representatives.