Uiflying Csthotics be Land Management 
A Ithough outdoor beauty is often associated with the spectacular or unusual, it can also exist 
in the ordinary or commonplace. And if we accept the definition that beauty is “any quality 
of sense or thought that excites an admiring pleasure,” we can readily include interest and 
understanding along with pleasing appearance as important components in the appreciation of 
beauty and in the application of esthetic principles to the natural landscape. 
Well-managed forests and rangelands are beautiful to those who view them impartially as 
well as to those who understand the concepts of land use and the long-range objectives of various 
management practices. A meadow is beautiful for its contrast, in form and color, with its sur- 
roundings, such as a pine forest or a chaparral-covered slope. It becomes more interesting and 
probably more beautiful when it is also seen as an important part of the watershed, a producer 
of meat and wool, or a valuable wildlife habitat. Likewise, the unbroken expanse of an ever- 
green forest can become dynamic, more interesting, and endowed with a particular beauty of 
its own when it includes well-managed logged areas and vigorous stands of new timber crops 
that speak of utility and husbandry. 
Management of areas especially exposed to the public view, as along roads, must encompass 
the dual objectives of beauty and productivity to the fullest extent possible. Here the day-to-day 
operations must include provisions aimed at creating a pleasant site and a favorable impression 
of forest and range management. 
