California Historic Route 66 Corridor
Management Plan
Barstow to Needles, CA
The California Historic Route 66 Corridor Management Plan (CMP) is part of an ongoing regional and national effort to keep America’s iconic, 2400-mile Main Street, once a symbol of adventure, from vanishing into the past. Route 66 was listed on the 2008 World Monuments Watch to draw attention to the complex challenges of preserving not only an iconic cultural landscape, but an historic American experience. The California section from Needles to Barstow through the Mojave Desert is one of the most unique sections of the route.
The California Historic Route 66 Association and the California Desert District of the Bureau of Land Management have teamed up with their local and state agency and non-governmental organization partners to help preserve the history of Route 66 through the desert and develop strategies for educating visitors from both nearby and afar about its significant cultural and natural landscape features. The effort will also look for ways to increase economic activity through enhanced recreation and heritage tourism opportunities for visitors to its gateway communities.
A recent economic study by Rutgers University identified significant economic opportunities for small communities along Historic Route 66 through heritage tourism, but these “exciting opportunities for advancing historic preservation and economic development on the Mother Road [will] require enhanced cooperation amongst the various states and entities involved with Route 66.” The purpose of this planning effort is to facilitate the necessary cooperation to realize those economic benefits.
Following the adoption of the plan, L/KLA served as a key team member for the City of Barstow’s efforts to utilize their Route 66 heritage to attract new businesses to their downtown.