FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2008

Columbus, OH -- Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher today announced that Ohio's 29-county Appalachian Region will be featured in the April issue of the National Geographic Travel magazine, a publication of the National Geographic Society. First Lady Frances Strickland joined Rick Peltz, Alternate Federal Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, Fred Deel, Director of the Governor's Office of Appalachia, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the National Geographic Society Saturday to unveil the Appalachian Driving Trails Map, an insert in the magazine that features trails from each of the 13 states within the Appalachian Mountain range. The First Lady unveiled the map at the Spotlight on Appalachia Art, Music and Travel Show at the Fort Steuben Mall in Steubenville (Jefferson County).

"The rolling hills of Appalachian Ohio offer unparalleled beauty and wonder," said First Lady Strickland. "The Driving Trails Map is a wonderful resource for visitors from across the country to enjoy the scenery and history of this region as much as Ted and I do."

National Geographic features four Ohio trails on the map; The Appalachian Adventure Trail in Pike, Jackson, Meigs, Vinton and Athens counties; and the Clothesline of Quilts Trail in southern Ohio. The Quilt Barn paintings had their origin in Adams County and now have spread across the United States. The other two trails for Ohio are multi-state trails: The Ohio River National Scenic Byway, sharing the trail with Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and West Virginia; and The National Road entering Ohio from the east and shared with West Virginia, Pennsylvania; and Maryland.

"From the stunning scenery of the Appalachian countryside to the unique and historic destinations located along these trails, Ohio's Appalachian region features countless opportunities for tourism and is an outstanding vacation location," said Lt. Governor Fisher, who also serves as Director of the Ohio Department of Development. "The Appalachian Driving Trails Map is a creative way to promote these sites while increasing tourism and business sales in a region where tourism is a major contributor to local economies."

This map was produced by National Geographic Travel magazine in partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission Tourism Council as a vehicle to increase tourism and the retail sales in the Appalachian Region, benefiting the businesses and artists along the trails. The release of the map is expected to directly impact the economy of 18 counties and have an indirect impact on an additional 11 counties in Ohio's Appalachian region. The Governor's Office of Appalachia provided a $15,000 grant toward the production and distribution of the map. The Appalachian Regional Commission has also launched an interactive Web site, www.visitappalachia.com, which features all twenty eight trails in the thirteen states and allows visitors to download itineraries and plan trips to the trails.

The Governor's Office of Appalachia is a division of the Department of Development and represents the interests of the 29 counties comprising East Central, Southeast, and Southern Ohio. The Office works on behalf of the Appalachian Regional Commission in Washington, D.C. to support local, regional, state and federal initiatives that allow the people of Ohio's Appalachian region to obtain economic, educational, and community prosperity.

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Media contacts: Melissa Ament at (614) 466-6619 or Kelly Schlissberg at (614) 466-4133