Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Governors from the eight states along historic Route 66 were invited last week to sign onto a consortium that establishes a model for cooperation and partnerships across state lines for the highway’s centennial anniversary in 2026.
The framework for the consortium was drafted and proposed to governors in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California by the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission, according to a news release from the New Mexico Tourism Department.
By joining the consortium, each state may designate stakeholders to contribute to the commission’s reports to Congress for how the federal government should celebrate Route 66’s centennial.
Each state also may agree to prioritize projects and activities that enable economic development, tourism demand generation, historic preservation, collaboration and education.
Projects and activities to be recommended to Congress will be national, regional and statewide in scope. There are no appropriated funds for projects, but the commission’s report to Congress will include prioritized recommendations for funding appropriations.
“There is plenty of work to do over the next couple of years to ensure we are fully prepared to capitalize on this incredibly important milestone, and we know a lot of people are excited to get the ball rolling on strategic planning,” U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission Chair Rod Reid said. “This is why we are moving swiftly to establish a framework for collaboration so we can begin the strategic planning process in away that’s effective and inclusive.”
“This centennial celebration brings a great deal of opportunity for destinations along Historic Route 66, and it also brings a great deal of responsibility for those of us tasked with developing the plan to maximize this opportunity,” said U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission Vice Chair Jen Paul Schroer. “We get one centennial celebration, which is why we are already hitting the ground running to activate partnerships and collaborate with stakeholders in each of the eight states, so we can meet this moment.”
Each state will designate a coordination group to focus on centennial planning. Projects and activities from state coordination groups will level up to the commission for further consideration and strategic integration.
Each state also will appoint a designee to serve on the four national working groups.
Historic Route 66 runs through the center of Quay County, which includes the towns and settlements of Tucumcari, San Jon, Bard, Endee, Montoya and Glenrio.
Several businesses and history aficionados in Tucumcari recently formed a Route 66 centennial committee to help the city and its lodgers tax advisory board plan for the 100th year of the highway in 2026.
The national commission held its first meeting via Zoom on Feb. 21, where it elected Reid, co-owner of Shepherd Hills Factory Outlets in Missouri, as chair and Schroer, Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Tourism, as vice chair.
The commission held its second meeting in Chicago on May 2, where it finalized its strategic framework and agreed to implement a process across Route 66’s eight states for conducting the commission’s work per the enabling legislation.
The U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission was established by act of Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on Dec. 23, 2020. Commissioners, which were appointed by the president, include representatives of the eight states that are home to Route 66.