Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 87.djvu/311

 87

STAT.]

PUBLIC LAW 93-87-AUG. 13, 1973

!279

HIGHLAND SCENIC HIGHWAY

SEC. 161. (a) The Secretary of Agriculture (acting through the Forest Service) is authorized to develop and construct as a parkway the Highland Scenic Highway from West Virginia State Route 39 to U.S. 250 near Barton Knob. Notwithstanding subsection (c) of section 103 of title 23, United States Code, such parkway shall be a route Ante, p. 274. on the Federal-aid secondary system. (b) The route from Richwood, West Virginia, to U.S. 250 near Barton Knob, via West Virginia State Route 39 and the parkway authorized by subsection (a) of this section shall be designated as the Highland Scenic Highway, (c) The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to acquire rights- Land acquisiof-way, land containing such rights-of-way, and interests in land, tion. including scenic easements and mineral rights, necessary to carry out the purpose of a scenic highway. I n addition to the acquisition of such lands and interests in lands, funds available for parkways shall be available for the reclamation of lands within the scenic corridor of the Highland Scenic Highway. (d) Funds available for parkways shall be available for signs on Interstate highways, Appalachian highways and other appropnate highways at natural points of access to such geographic area, indicating the direction and distance to the Highland Scenic Highway and to Richwood as "Gateway to the Highland Scenic Highway". (e) Funds available for parkways shall be available for upgrading that portion of West Virginia State Route 39 designated as the Highland Scenic Highway to appropriate standards for a scenic and recreational highway, including the construction of vistas and other scenic improvements. (f) The Highland Scenic Highway as authorized by subsection (a) of this section and all associated lands and rights-of-way shall be managed as part of the Monongahela National Forest, solely for scenic and recreational use and passenger car travel. (g) The Highland Scenic Highway as authorized by subsection (a) Design and of this section shall be designed and constructed in accordance with construction standards. standards appropriate for a scenic highway, providing for moderate speeds and minimizing modification to topographic contours and natural drainage. Upper Shavers (h) Construction of the portion of the Highland Scenic Highway Fork watershed as authorized by subsection (a) of this section which is proposed to po/ttion, conbe constructed through the upper Shavers Fork watershed shall not struction condi be initiated until— (1) the Forest Service has acquired sufficient lands and interests in land (including mineral rights) in such watershed to assure an adequate scenic corridor for the Highland Scenic Highway and the control of water quality in Shavers Fork; and (2) the completion of a geological and soil survey of any proposed route, conducted in cooperation with the Division of Water Resources of the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources. (i) Any parkway authorized in the future to proceed southward in such area shall begin in the immediate vicinity of Richwood, West Vira:inia. (j) Any connection of the Highland Scenic Highway as authorized by subsection (a) of this section with Corridor H of the Appalachian Development Highway System or any more northerly segment of the Highland Scenic Highway shall utilize existing routes and not involve construction through the Monongahela National Forest between U.S. 250 and Cunningham Knob.

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