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Abstract
In 2013 the National Park Service launched a visual resources inventory method designed to capture visual experiences accurately and consistently across diverse landscapes. In the inventory process, each view is mapped and described from the viewers' perspective. Views are also evaluated to capture scenic quality and importance to the visitor experience. Because of the scale of many park landscapes and the dynamic nature of visual resource pressures, park staff must be able to conduct inventories in a modular way. Inventory data can be used in spatial analysis to show where views overlap, which portions of the landscape are visible from a given view point, and what is the composite value of all intersecting views. Robust inventory information allows managers to integrate visual resource considerations into park planning and management. This is important when working with partners beyond park boundaries to target critical areas for visual resource protection. The National Park Service visual resources inventory method has proven effective in diverse park landscapes and is gaining traction.
Parent Publication
Citation
Peters, Melanie V.; Taylor, Ksienya A.; Meyer, Mark E.; Sullivan, Robert G. 2018. Getting in the Game: A National Park Service Approach to Visual Resources Inventory. In: Gobster, Paul H.; Smardon, Richard C., eds. Visual resource stewardship conference proceedings: landscape and seascape management in a time of change. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-183. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 96-115.
