Sources of Information for Assessing Recreation Settings, Opportunities and Access, and Scenic Character

This page contains links referred to from Forest Service Handbook FSH 1909.12, Chapter 10 – The Assessment, Section 13.4. Direction for conducting an assessment for a plan, plan revision or plan amendment is contained in that handbook. This page contains links to additional information resources and will be updated periodically.

Recreation and Scenery

Forest Service information resources include:

1. Natural Resource Manager.
1. National visitor use monitoring.
2. Wilderness and wild and scenic rivers.
3. Infra (for information on trails, cultural properties, and recreation sites).
4. Heritage.
2. Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) Refer to FSM 2310 for more information on the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum.
3. Scenery Management System (SMS) Refer to FSM 2380 and Landscape Aesthetics – A Handbook for Scenery Management (Agriculture Handbook 701) for more information of SMS.
4. Motor vehicle use map and travel management plan.
5. Recreation facility analysis.
6. Travel and tourism reports.
7. Local research station reports or analyses.
8. US National Survey on Recreation and the Environment.
9. Management plans for congressionally designated areas and trails.

External information sources include:

1. State comprehensive outdoor recreation plans.
2. State or county land management planning and strategy documents.
3. National, state and regional surveys on recreation such as the Outdoor Industry Association Participation Survey.
4. Volunteered data from special use permittees.
5. USFWS National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation.
6. Public, online resources maintained by local, regional or national recreation organizations or recreation communities.
7. Analysis or information offered for consideration by the public about recreation or scenic character.