Program could put Sisters on the map

A National Geographic map project could put the Sisters Country on the map - literally.

Central Oregon Visitors Association has announced a project with the National Geographic Society, Travel Oregon and Washington State Tourism to develop a bi-state storytelling map - MapGuide - of the Central Cascades Region.

Input from Sisters residents is key to the development of the MapGuide.

Nominations for the Central Cascades' unique and noteworthy natural, recreational, historical and cultural gems are being solicited from the public at large. An online nomination submission form is available at http://www.thecentralcascades.com. Nominations will be accepted through the end of business on March 29.

A free Community Forum will be held on Monday, January 26 at 6 p.m. at FivePine Lodge, 1021 Desperado Trail. At the forum, Laurel MacMillan of Rural Development Initiatives, the partner organization responsible for the community forums, will introduce the MapGuide project and help facilitate the generation of map point nominations.

The goal of the project is to have 150 remarkable stories associated with locations from throughout a region bounded by Mt. Rainier to the north and Crater Lake to the south and stretching from Highway 97 west to Interstate 5. All nominations, even those not selected by National Geographic for the MapGuide, will be considered for inclusion on a parallel Central Cascades Geotourism Web site - http://www.centralcascades.com.

The kinds of map points being sought are those that reveal the essence of the Central Cascades - the people, experiences, sites and attractions that set this region apart from any other place on the globe. Nominations might include for example a one-of-a-kind nature trail, a waterfall, a geological formation, a locally owned and operated restaurant, an annual cultural event, a local heritage museum, a farm that offers tours, a bird watching spot, and more.

According to a 2002 study by National Geographic Traveler magazine and the Travel Industry Association of America, more than 55 million adults in the U.S. could be described as "geotourists," traveling to enjoy the distinctive character of places, and willing to help sustain and enhance those qualities for future visitors. These travelers control more than half the household income of all U.S. travelers.

National Geographic MapGuides have been developed in a handful of other regions with excellent results; they successfully attract geotourists to an area while protecting and enhancing the intrinsic qualities of a place.

The project is being directed by National Geographic Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations with the Central Cascades Advisory Committee. The Central Cascades Project Advisory Committee is a coalition of Travel Oregon, Washington State Tourism, Sustainable Travel International, Rural Development Initiatives, Sustainable Northwest, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.