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23 U.S.C. § 162 — National scenic byways program

Verified against govinfo.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on govinfo.gov ↗
  1. (a)Designation of Roads
    1. (1)In generalThe Secretary shall carry out a national scenic byways program that recognizes roads having outstanding scenic, historic, cultural, natural, recreational, and archaeological qualities by designating the roads as—
      1. (A)National Scenic Byways;
      2. (B)All-American Roads; or
      3. (C)America’s Byways.
    2. (2)CriteriaThe Secretary shall designate roads to be recognized under the national scenic byways program in accordance with criteria developed by the Secretary.
    3. (3)Nomination
      1. (A)In generalTo be considered for a designation, a road must be nominated by a State, an Indian tribe, or a Federal land management agency and must first be designated as a State scenic byway, an Indian tribe scenic byway, or, in the case of a road on Federal land, as a Federal land management agency byway.
      2. (B)Nomination by indian tribesAn Indian tribe may nominate a road as a National Scenic Byway, an All-American Road, or one of America’s Byways under paragraph (1) only if a Federal land management agency (other than the Bureau of Indian Affairs), a State, or a political subdivision of a State does not have—
        1. (i)jurisdiction over the road; or
        2. (ii)responsibility for managing the road.
      3. (C)SafetyAn Indian tribe shall maintain the safety and quality of roads nominated by the Indian tribe under subparagraph (A).
    4. (4)Reciprocal notificationStates, Indian tribes, and Federal land management agencies shall notify each other regarding nominations made under this subsection for roads that—
      1. (A)are within the jurisdictional boundary of the State, Federal land management agency, or Indian tribe; or
      2. (B)directly connect to roads for which the State, Federal land management agency, or Indian tribe is responsible.
  2. (b)Grants and Technical Assistance
    1. (1)In generalThe Secretary shall make grants and provide technical assistance to States and Indian tribes to—
      1. (A)implement projects on highways designated as—
        1. (i)National Scenic Byways;
        2. (ii)All-American Roads;
        3. (iii)America’s Byways;
        4. (iv)State scenic byways; or
        5. (v)Indian tribe scenic byways; and
      2. (B)plan, design, and develop a State or Indian tribe scenic byway program.
    2. (2)PrioritiesIn making grants, the Secretary shall give priority to—
      1. (A)each eligible project that is associated with a highway that has been designated as a National Scenic Byway, All-American Road, or 1 of America’s Byways and that is consistent with the corridor management plan for the byway;
      2. (B)each eligible project along a State or Indian tribe scenic byway that is consistent with the corridor management plan for the byway, or is intended to foster the development of such a plan, and is carried out to make the byway eligible for designation as—
        1. (i)a National Scenic Byway;
        2. (ii)an All-American Road; or
        3. (iii)1 of America’s Byways; and
      3. (C)each eligible project that is associated with the development of a State or Indian tribe scenic byway program.
  3. (c)Eligible ProjectsThe following are projects that are eligible for Federal assistance under this section:
    1. (1)An activity related to the planning, design, or development of a State or Indian tribe scenic byway program.
    2. (2)Development and implementation of a corridor management plan to maintain the scenic, historical, recreational, cultural, natural, and archaeological characteristics of a byway corridor while providing for accommodation of increased tourism and development of related amenities.
    3. (3)Safety improvements to a State scenic byway, Indian tribe scenic byway, National Scenic Byway, All-American Road, or one of America’s Byways to the extent that the improvements are necessary to accommodate increased traffic and changes in the types of vehicles using the highway as a result of the designation as a State scenic byway, Indian tribe scenic byway, National Scenic Byway, All-American Road, or one of America’s Byways.
    4. (4)Construction along a scenic byway of a facility for pedestrians and bicyclists, rest area, turnout, highway shoulder improvement, overlook, or interpretive facility.
    5. (5)An improvement to a scenic byway that will enhance access to an area for the purpose of recreation, including water-related recreation.
    6. (6)Protection of scenic, historical, recreational, cultural, natural, and archaeological resources in an area adjacent to a scenic byway.
    7. (7)Development and provision of tourist information to the public, including interpretive information about a scenic byway.
    8. (8)Development and implementation of a scenic byway marketing program.
  4. (d)LimitationThe Secretary shall not make a grant under this section for any project that would not protect the scenic, historical, recreational, cultural, natural, and archaeological integrity of a highway and adjacent areas.
  5. (e)Savings ClauseThe Secretary shall not withhold any grant or impose any requirement on a State or Indian tribe as a condition of providing a grant or technical assistance for any scenic byway unless the requirement is consistent with the authority provided in this chapter.
  6. (f)Federal ShareThe Federal share of the cost of carrying out a project under this section shall be 80 percent, except that, in the case of any scenic byway project along a public road that provides access to or within Federal or Indian land, a Federal land management agency may use funds authorized for use by the agency as the non-Federal share.