Visual Resource Management

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Visual Resource Management
A thing is right when it tends to preserve the
integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic
community. Aldo Leopold
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Visual Resource Management

• BLM lands are
• Economically vital
• Ecologically critical
• Visually spectacular
• Culturally significant
• Emotionally profound
• The challenge of
• simultaneous protection of all values

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What is Visual Resource Management

• The inventory and planning actions taken to
  identify visual values and to establish
  objectives for managing those values and the
  management actions taken to achieve the visual
  management objectives.

A tool for guiding and molding surface
disturbing activities and facility development
into the context of the landscape setting
minimizing visual impacts.
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Use of the Public Land

• Oil and Gas Coal
• Uranium
• Wind
• Geothermal
• Energy conveyance
• Aggregate
• Recreation
• Population
• Communication systems

2004 - 119 percent growth rate in the West. 22.2
million people live within 25 miles of BLM
administered lands
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Why manage for Visual Resources

• 87 of what people observe is through the sense
  of sight
• First impressions guide final opinions /
  conclusions
• Public reaction is largely prompted by what is
  observed
• Public involvement is at its all time high and
  isnt subsiding
• 22 million within ½ hour drive of BLM lands
• Legislative mandates

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Visual Resource Management

• Why manage for Visual Resources
• People react to what they see
• Visible evidence of responsible stewardship of
  the visual environment will advance the BLMs
  multiple-use mission toward meeting our Nations
  energy needs.

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Visual Resource Management

• BLM Policy Manual Section 8400 Visual Resource
  Management - www.blm.gov/nstc/VRM
• Objective and systematic process
• Maintain an inventory of visual values
• Performance standard for protecting visual
  resource values
• Tool for designing activities to reduce visual
  impacts and measure compliance with objectives
• Encourage an interdisciplinary approach
• Provide training annually and 2-day short
  course

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Visual Resource Management

• VRM Program 3 Stages
• Visual Resource Inventory (pre RMP)
• Establish VRM management classes (RMP)
• Contrast evaluation between proposed projects and
  the natural landscape setting (post RMP)

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Visual Resource Management

• Visual Resource Inventory Classes I IV
  Assigning an objective visual value rating

• Scenic Quality Rating
• Public Sensitivity
• Distance zones

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Visual Resource Management

• VRM Management Classes I IV
• Not the same as Visual Resource Inventory
  Classes
• Consideration of the Visual Resource Inventory
  along with other allocations to determine VRM
  management classes
• VRM Class I No change, doesnt attract the
  attention of the casual observer
• VRM Class II No to low level of change
• VRM Class III Moderate Change, doesnt dominate
  landscape
• VRM Class IV Higher level of change, may
  dominate the landscape

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Visual Resource Management

• VRM Myths
• VRM is discretionary,
• VRM is a subjective subject matter,
• Visual Inventory Classes VRM Management Classes
  are the same thing
• VRM prohibits surface development VRM Class II
• VRM Class IV is the only one where I can do
  anything (veg treatments, OG development, etc.)
• VRM objectives do not apply to pre-existing
  leases

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Project Implementation
Planning, Design and Measuring Visual
contrast Options for projects not meeting VRM
objectives
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Landscape Character Elements
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Typical Project Key Observation Points

• Linear roads, rivers, trials, passenger rail,
  scenic byways
• Vantage points campgrounds, scenic overlooks,
  visitor centers, trail heads
• Consider sensitive viewpoints from adjacent land
  management jurisdictions
• Places from which a proposed project is seen by
  large numbers of viewers (representative) or
  critical viewers
• Views From Communities or Subdivisions
• Point where view of proposed project is most
• revealing (careful to avoid bias in analysis)

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KOP Considerations

• Angle of observation
• Season of use
• Light conditions
• Atmospheric conditions
• Distance
• Number of potential viewers
• Length of time project is in view
• Relative project size in scale with landscape
  setting

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VRM Best Management Practices

• Good planning practices
• Repeating landscape elements form, line,
  color, texture
• Reduce unnecessary surface disturbance
• Proper siting, location and collocating
• Contour grading
• Vegetation preservation and manipulation
• Revegetation
• Topsoil handling/ surface soil preparation
• Color treatment
• Surface matting
• Monitoring and compliance checking
• Consideration of cumulative effects

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What is this a picture of?
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Proper Siting Location

• The Location minimizes adverse visual impacts
• The project is screened by topographic
• or vegetative features
• Locate away from visually sensitive areas
• The optimum location may address several resource
  
• issues
• Located so that landscape features dont focus
  attention
• on the project

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Proper Siting Location
Positioning facilities away from ridgelines
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Proper Siting Location
Avoid positioning facilities near prominent
natural features
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Proper Siting Location
Use existing natural features to conceal or
minimize visibility
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Proper Siting Location
Avoid straight lines bisecting the landscape
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Blending in the cuts and fills
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Positioning facilities within the lines of the
landscape minimizes contrast.
Proper color selection would further minimize
visual contrast
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BMPs

• Minimize unnecessary surface disturbance

Unnecessary shortcut roads
Photo Simulation
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BMPs

• Minimize surface disturbance/ reduction of
  unnecessary disturbance

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Pipeline routing
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Existing Color Charts
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Color Charts

• Field testing the color chart choices

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New Color Chart
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Just because its on the chart doesnt
necessarily mean its a good choice
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Carlsbad Canyon Shadow Gray
Which is the better choice?
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Simple application of color makes the 2nd
transmission tower transparent against the
landscape background
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Large scale feature color treated compared to
small scale feature not treated
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• Art
• Science

Using multiple colors Fractal Camouflage
Technology
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Field Testing Technology with Industry Partners
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Industry use of camouflage technology
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• Recreating texture through reclamation

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Interim reclamation re-establishing the natural
composition of color and texture
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• Revegetation treatments visually mitigating
  surface disturbance

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• Vegetation Manipulation

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Vegetation Manipulation

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BMPs

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Interruption of the Line of Sight
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Minimizing Visibility

• Low profile tanks
• Collocating of facilities

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Landforms

• Grading

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Landforms

• Grading

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Visual Resource Planning Tools

• GPS
• Photographic documentation
• GIS 3-D Modeling
• Cadd - Project design
• Cadd Design to GIS model
• Photo rendering
• Quantities cost
• Informed decisions
• Data quality

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Case Study

• Interstate 70 Glenwood Canyon Project