• Scenic views for people to enjoy in both urban and rural areas
• Protection of historic landscapes along scenic rural highways
• Jobs and other economic benefits from tourism

Priority Areas for Protection:
Protection of forests, farms and fields that are easily viewed from the Blue Ridge Parkway and other designated scenic highways.

Protection Techniques:
The land visible from a scenic highway can be mapped. In areas of steep topography, like much of the Blue Ridge Parkway, many properties are only partially visible. However, some of the visible properties may be many miles from the road. Easements that prevent development on the visible portions of a property can be purchased or donated according to the needs of the landowner.

Five-Year Goal:
To protect 50,000 acres visible from the Blue Ridge Parkway and other designated scenic highways.

Funding Needed:
$150 million over five years ($30 million per year).

Conservation Trust for North Carolina estimated the capacity of land trusts and governments to protect critical lands along scenic highways based on the work it and other land trusts are doing protecting land along the Blue Ridge Parkway.