Scenic Roads

Corridor Management Plans

Intrinsic Qualities

Intrinsic qualities are features that are considered representative, unique, irreplaceable, or distinctly characteristic of an area.

The CMP should analyze and describe the intrinsic qualities and how they are to be managed and interpreted. Specifically, the CMP should include these areas of intrinsic quality documentation:

  • Intrinsic Quality Assessment
  • Intrinsic Quality Management Strategy
  • Interpretation Plan
Intrinsic Quality Assessment

Identify the intrinsic qualities along the roadway and describe the resources that contribute to these qualities. Evaluate which qualities are of local, regional or national importance. There are six intrinsic qualities and a brief explanation follows:

  • Scenic: Beauty, whether natural or human-made. The quality of the features is measured by how memorable, distinctive, uninterrupted and unified they are.
  • Natural: Minimal human disturbance of the natural ecological features that are associated with the region.
  • Historic: Landscapes, buildings, structures or other visual evidence of the past. It has to be something that can still be seen, not just the site of something that used to be there.
  • Cultural: Visual evidence of the unique customs, traditions, folklore or rituals of a currently existing human group.
  • Archaeological: Visual evidence of the unique customs, traditions, folklore or rituals of a no-longer existing human group.
  • Recreational: The road corridor itself is used for recreation like jogging, biking, roadside picnics or direct access to recreational sites like campgrounds, lakes, ski lodges, sightseeing, etc.
Intrinsic Quality Management Strategy

Describe how the intrinsic qualities will be managed through preservation or conservation and what protection tools are available (e.g., zoning, overlay districts, easements).

Interpretation Plan

Describe what methods are in place or planned to familiarize visitors with the significant byway resources (e.g., museums, festivals, interpretive markers, kiosks).