8410 Visual Resource Inventory

Illustration 11 - Determining Visual Resource Inventory Classes

1. Basis for Determining Visual Resource Inventory Classes

1. Class I. Class I is assigned to all special areas where the current management situations requires maintaining a natural environment essentially unaltered by man.

2. Classes II, III, and IV. These classes are assigned based on combinations of scenic quality, sensitivity levels, and distance zones as shown in the following matrix:

Visual Senstivity Levels

High

Medium

Low

Special Areas
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

Scenic Quality

A
II
II
II
II
II
II
II

B
II
III
III*
III
IV
IV
IV
IV*

C
III
IV
IV
IV
IV
IV
IV

f/m

b

s/s

f/m

b

s/s

s/s

DISTANCE ZONES

* If adjacent areas is Class III or lower assign Class III, if higher assign Class IV

B. How to Map Visual Resource Inventory Classes II, III, and IV.

Mapping inventory classes can be cumbersome and time consuming if not done in a systematic manner. Many systems have been developed to do this task. One that has been used effectively is:

Step I: Code each of the 3 overlays as follows:

Scenic Quality
 A B C
Sensitivity Levels
 High Medium Low
Distance Zones
 F/M B S/S

Step 2: Copy the codes from the overlays onto a single new overlay.

Step 3: Delineate the boundaries of the inventory classes on a new overlay using the following information as a guide:

Class II

4 or more lines

Class III

3 lines

Class IV

2 lines or less

 ,

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