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Scenery Management System
The Scenery Management System (SMS) provides a systematic approach for determining the relative value and importance of scenery in National Forest lands. Ecosystems provide the environmental context for the scenery management system. Ecosystems as recreational settings greatly affect the quality and effectiveness of the recreation experience. A key attribute of recreation settings is the quality of aesthetics. While it is structured to primarily emphasize “natural appearing” scenery, SMS also recognizes the positive scenic values associated with some human modified (cultural) features and settings that are valued for their scenic influence. The SMS allows for a “seamless” analysis and conservation beyond national forest lands into adjacent communities and other jurisdictions.
The SMS is used in the context of ecosystem management to inventory and analyze scenery on National Forest lands, to assist in establishment of overall resource goals and objectives, to monitor scenic resources and to ensure high quality scenery for future generations.
Scenic character descriptions were developed for the Tonto National Forest as part of the SMS process and include a narrative of the physical, biological and cultural images that give the forest its scenic identity and contribute to its sense of place. They describe the appearance of the landscape and its attributes. Scenic character descriptions provide a frame of reference from which to determine scenic attractiveness and to measure scenic integrity.
Desired scenic character and desired scenic integrity are referenced throughout the Tonto National Forest Land Management Plan (2023) and will be referenced in future site-specific projects.
Existing scenic integrity conditions and desired scenic integrity conditions are mapped forestwide at a broad scale. Local inconsistencies may exist. The map of desired scenic integrity conditions can be updated in the future to resolve these inconsistencies or to account for changed conditions. Finer-scale project design may identify more precise boundaries for desired scenic integrity conditions than are represented on the forestwide allocation map.
Additional information:
- Existing scenic integrity conditions
- Desired scenic integrity conditions
- Scenery Management Overview Presentation (PDF)
- Presentation to Tonto NF on Concern Levels (PDF)
- Landscape Aesthetics: A Handbook for Scenery Management (PDF)
Alerts & Warnings
- Pine Canyon Restoration Project Area and Trails Temporary Closure Order
- 03-12-02-24-67 Globe Forest Road 287 Area Closure Order
- 03-12-04-24-61_East Webber Geronimo Trails_Public Safety Closure
- 03-12-03-24-47_Boulder Fishing Pier Temporary Closure
- Equestrian Users Please Be Aware
- 03-12-06-24-27 Tonto Creek Crossing Road Closures
- 03-12-02-25-01 Pinto Valley Mine Blasting Closure
- 03-12-03-24-64 Bald Eagle Closure Box Bar Order
- 12-16-5R Roosevelt Lake Seasonal Wildlife Closure
- 03-12-00-23-36 Target Type Restrictions Order
- Bald Eagle Seasonal Closures
- Occupancy and Use Restrictions
- Update on State Route 88 (Apache Trail) - August 18, 2021
- Redmond Fire Road Closure