Appendix - Florida Scenic Highways

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administration of title 23, United StatesCode.i. Scenic Byway means a public roadhaving special scenic, historic,recreational, cultural, archeological,and/or natural qualities that have beenrecognized as such through legislationor some other official declaration. Theterms “road” and “highway” aresynonymous. They are not meant todefine higher or lower functionalclassifications or wider or narrowercross-sections. Moreover, the termsState Scenic Byway, National ScenicByway, or All-American Road refer notonly to the road or highway itself butalso to the corridor through which itpasses.j. State Scenic Byway means a road orhighway under State, Federal, or localownership that has been designated bythe State through legislation or someother official declaration for its scenic,historic, recreational, cultural,archeological, or natural qualities. AnOfficial Declaration is an action takenby a Governor or that of an individual,board, committee, or politicalsubdivision acting with grantedauthority on behalf of the State.3. Requirementsa. Any highway or road submitted fordesignation under the National ScenicByways Program by State or Federalagencies should be designated as a Statescenic byway. However, roads that meetall criteria and requirements forNational designation but not State orFederal agencies’ designation criteriamay be considered for nationaldesignation on a case-by-case basis. Anyroad nominated for the National ScenicByway or All-American Roaddesignation will be considered to be adesignated State scenic byway.b. A road or highway must safely andconveniently accommodate two-wheeldriveautomobiles with standardclearances to be considered fordesignation as a National Scenic Bywayor an All-American Road.c. Roads or highways considered forNational Scenic Byways and All-American Roads designations shouldaccommodate, wherever feasible,bicycle and pedestrian travel.d. To be considered for the All-American Roads designation, roads orhighways should safely accommodateconventional tour buses.e. A scenic byways corridormanagement plan, prepared inaccordance with Paragraph 9 of thispolicy, must be submitted in order forany road or highway to be consideredfor the National Scenic Byway of All-American Road designation.f.For All-American Roads, there mustbe a demonstration of the extent towhich enforcement mechanisms arebeing implemented by communitiesalong the highway in accordance withthe corridor management plan.g. Before a road or highway isnominated for designation as an All-American Road, user facilities (e.g.overlooks, food services, etc.) should beavailable for travelers.h. An important criteria for bothNational Scenic Byways and All-American Roads is continuity. Neithershould have too many gaps but rathershould be as continuous as possible andshould minimize intrusions on thevisitor’s experience.4. Nomination Processa. A nomination process will be usedas the means by which roads orhighways may be recognized for theirintrinsic qualities and designated asNational Scenic Byways or as All-American Roads. All nominations forNational Scenic Byways or All-American Roads must be submitted bythe State Scenic Byways Agency (SSBA)to the FHWA. The States will receivewritten notification of the time periodfor submitting nominations fordesignation consideration.b. Nominations may originate fromany local government, including Indiantribal governments, or any private groupor individual.c. Nominations to the program ofbyways on public lands may originatefrom the U.S. Forest Service, theNational Park Service, the Bureau ofLand Management, or the Bureau ofIndian Affairs, but must also comethrough the SSBA, with the State’sconcurrence.d. A two-step process may be used fornominations originating with localsponsors to help alleviate unnecessarydocumentation, time, and expense.The first step is for local sponsors tosubmit to the SSBA the documentationnecessary for the State to determine ifthe scenic byway possesses intrinsicqualities sufficient to merit itsnomination as a National Scenic Bywayor an All-American Road.The second step is for the remainderof the nomination package to besubmitted once the State hasdetermined that the byway isappropriate for nomination.e. A corridor management plan,prepared in accordance with Paragraph9 of this policy, must be included aspart of all nominations made to theFHWA for National Scenic Byways orAll-American Roads designations. Thecorridor management plan is notrequired for the preliminary intrinsicquality evaluation identified above inparagraph 4d.f.A single application may be used by aState to seek the designation of a nominatedhighway as either a National ScenicByway, an All-American Road,or as both. A highway nominated for,but failing to meet, the requirements forAll-American Road designation willautomatically be considered fordesignation as a National Scenic Bywayunless the State requests otherwise.5. Designation Processa. Designations of National ScenicByways and All-American Roads shallbe made by the Secretary ofTransportation after consultation withthe Departments of the Interior,Agriculture, and Commerce, asappropriate.b. A panel consisting of six to eightexperts, designated by FHWA andreflecting a cross-section of the scenicbyways community of interests(including experts on intrinsic qualities,tourism, and economic development),may assist in the review of highwaysnominated as National Scenic Bywaysand All-American Roads.6. Designation Criteriaa. National Scenic Byways CriteriaTo be designated as a National ScenicByway, a road or highway mustsignificantly meet at least one of the sixscenic byways intrinsic qualitiesdiscussed below.The characteristics associated withthe intrinsic qualities are those that aredistinct and most representative of theregion. The significance of the featurescontributing to the distinctivecharacteristics of the corridor’s intrinsicquality are recognized throughout theregion.b. All-American Road CriteriaIn order to be designated as an All-American Road, the road or highwaymust meet the criteria for at least two ofthe intrinsic qualities. The road orhighway must also be considered adestination unto itself. To be recognizedas such, it must provide an exceptionaltraveling experience that is sorecognized by travelers that they wouldmake a drive along the highway aprimary reason for their trip.The characteristics associated withthe intrinsic qualities are those whichbest represent the nation and whichmay contain one-of-a-kind features thatdo not exist elsewhere. The significanceof the features contributing to thedistinctive characteristics of thecorridor’s intrinsic quality arerecognized nationally.
7. Intrinsic QualitiesThe six intrinsic qualities are:a. Scenic Quality is the heightenedvisual experience derived from the viewof natural and manmade elements of thevisual environment of the scenic bywaycorridor. The characteristics of thelandscape are strikingly distinct andoffer a pleasing and most memorablevisual experience. All elements of thelandscape – landform, water, vegetation,and manmade development – contributeto the quality of the corridor’s visualenvironment. Everything present is inharmony and shares in the intrinsicqualities.b. Natural Quality applies to thosefeatures in the visual environment thatare in a relatively undisturbed state.These features predate the arrival ofhuman populations and may includegeological formations, fossils, landform,water bodies, vegetation, and wildlife.There may be evidence of humanactivity, but the natural features revealminimal disturbances.c. Historic Quality encompasseslegacies of the past that are distinctlyassociated with physical elements of thelandscape, whether natural ormanmade, that are of such historicsignificance that they educate theviewer and stir an appreciation for thepast. The historic elements reflect theactions of people and may includebuildings, settlement patterns, and otherexamples of human activity. Historicfeatures can be inventoried, mapped,and interpreted. They possess integrityof location, design, setting, material,workmanship, feeling, and association.d. Cultural Quality is evidence andexpressions of the customs or traditionsof a distinct group of people. Culturalfeatures including, but not limited to,crafts, music, dance, rituals, festivals,speech, food, special events, vernaculararchitecture, etc., are currentlypracticed. The cultural qualities of thecorridor could highlight one or moresignificant communities and/or ethnictraditions.e. Archeological Quality involvesthose characteristics of the scenicbyways corridor that are physicalevidence of historic or prehistorichuman life or activity that are visibleand capable of being inventoried andinterpreted. The scenic byway corridor’sarcheological interest, as identifiedthrough ruins, artifacts, structuralremains, and other physical evidencehave scientific significance that educatethe viewer and stir an appreciation forthe past.f.Recreational Quality involvesoutdoor recreational activities directlyassociation with and dependent uponthe natural and cultural elements of thecorridor’s landscape. The recreationalactivities provide opportunities foractive and passive recreationalexperiences. They include, but are notlimited to, downhill skiing, rafting,boating, fishing, and hiking. Driving theroad itself may qualify as a pleasurablerecreational experience. Therecreational activities may be seasonal,but the quality and importance of therecreational activities as seasonaloperations must be well recognized.8. De-Designation Processa. The Secretary of Transportationmay de-designate any roads or highwaysdesignated as National Scenic Bywaysor All-American Roads if they no longerpossess the intrinsic qualities nor meetthe criteria which supported theirdesignation.b. A road or highway will beconsidered for de-designation when it isdetermined that the local and/or Statecommitments described in a corridormanagement plan have not been metsufficiently to retain an adequate levelof intrinsic quality to merit designation.c. When a byway has been designatedfor more than one intrinsic quality, thediminishment of any one of the qualitiescould result in de-designation of thebyway as a National Scenic Byway orAll-American Road.d. It shall be the State’s responsibilityto assure that the intrinsic qualities ofthe National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads are being properlymaintained in accordance with thecorridor management plan.e. When it is determined that theintrinsic qualities of a National ScenicByway or All-American Road have notbeen maintained sufficiently to retain itsdesignation, the State and/or Federalagency will be notified of such findingand allowed 90 days for correctiveactions before the Secretary may beginformal de-designation.9. Corridor Management Plansa. A corridor management plan,developed with communityinvolvement, must be prepared for thescenic byway corridor proposed fornational designation. It should providefor the conservation and enhancementof the byway’s intrinsic qualities as wellas the promotion of tourism andeconomic development. The planshould provide an effective managementstrategy to balance these concerns whileproviding for the users’ enjoyment ofthe byway. The corridor managementplan is very important to thedesignation process, as it provides anunderstanding of how a road or highwaypossesses characteristics vital fordesignation as a National Scenic Bywayor an All-American Road. The corridormanagement plan must include at leastthe following:(1) A map identifying the corridorboundaries and the location of intrinsicqualities and different land uses withinthe corridor.(2) An assessment of such intrinsicqualities and of their context.(3) A strategy for maintaining andenhancing those intrinsic qualities. Thelevel of protection for different parts ofa National Scenic Byway or All-American Road can vary, with thehighest level of protection affordedthose parts which most reflect theirintrinsic values. All nationallyrecognized scenic byways should,however, be maintained withparticularly high standards, not only fortravelers’ safety and comfort, but alsofor preserving the highest levels ofvisual integrity and attractiveness.(4) A schedule and a listing of allagency, group, and individualresponsibilities in the implementationof the corridor management plan, and adescription of enforcement and reviewmechanisms, including a schedule forthe continuing review of how well thoseresponsibilities are being met.(5) A strategy describing how existingdevelopment might be enhanced andnew development might beaccommodated while still preservingthe intrinsic qualities of the corridor.This can be done through design review,and such land management techniquesas zoning, easements, and economicincentives.(6) A plan to assure on-going publicparticipation in the implementation ofcorridor management objectives.(7) A general review of the road’s orhighway’s safety and accident record toidentify any correctable faults inhighway design, maintenance, oroperation.(8) A plan to accommodate commercewhile maintaining a safe and efficientlevel of highway service, includingconvenient user facilities.(9) A demonstration that intrusions onthe visitor experience have beenminimized to the extent feasible, and aplan for making improvements toenhance that experience.(10) A demonstration of compliancewith all existing local, State, andFederal laws on the control of outdooradvertising.(11) A signage plan that demonstrateshow the State will insure and make thenumber and placement of signs moresupportive of the visitor experience.(12) A narrative describing how theNational Scenic Byway will bepositioned for marketing.
Page 1 and 2: Procedure No.650-050-005 Effective
Page 9 and 10: FORM 650-050-01ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGE
Page 11 and 12: STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRAN
Page 13 and 14: STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRAN
Page 23: [FHWA Docket No. 95-15]National Sce

Appendix - Florida Scenic Highways

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