Visual Resources

Objectives

Manage all BLM-administered land to meet the following visual quality objectives:

Class
VRM I:		Preserve the existing character of landscapes.
VRM II:		Retain the existing character of landscapes.
VRM III:		Partially retain the existing character of landscapes.
VRM IV:		Allow major modifications of existing character of landscapes.

Land Use Allocations

Class		Acres

VRM I		28
VRM II		18,045
VRM III		4,385
VRM IV		396,546

See Map 4.

Roseburg District Visual Resource Management Classes will be determined by the following:

1.	Designate Visual Resource Management Classes "as inventoried" in the Visual Resource Inventory, including:
	a.	Land adjacent to (within 1/4-mile of) developed recreation sites, state and federal highways, state scenic waterways, and rivers designated under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
	b.	Available forest land where Federal ownership consists of more than half of the viewshed.
	c.	Areas of Critical Environmental Concern and Research Natural Areas.
2.	Designate rural interface areas under Visual Resource Management Class III objectives unless these lands fall under a more restrictive Visual Resource Management Class.
3.	Designate all other forest lands Visual Resource Management Class IV.

Management Actions/Direction

Address visual resource management issues when conducting landscape/watershed analysis, environmental assessments, or environmental impact statements.

Use the visual resource contrast rating system during project level planning to determine whether or not proposed activities will meet Visual Resource Management objectives. Use mitigation measures to reduce visual contrasts.

Provide for natural ecological changes in Visual Resource Management Class I areas. Some very limited management activities may occur in these areas. The level of change to the characteristic landscape would be very low and must not attract attention. Changes should repeat the basic elements of form, line, color, texture, and scale found in the predominant natural features of the characteristic landscape.

Manage Visual Resource Management Class II lands for low levels of change to the characteristic landscape. Management activities may be seen but should not attract the attention of the casual observer. Changes should repeat the basic elements of form, line, color, texture, and scale found in the predominant natural features of the characteristic landscape.

Manage Visual Resource Management Class III lands for moderate levels of change to the characteristic landscape. Management activities may attract attention but should not dominate the view of the casual observer. Changes should repeat the basic elements of form, line, color, texture, and scale found in the predominant natural features of the characteristic landscape.

Manage Visual Resource Management Class IV lands for moderate levels of change to the characteristic landscape. Management activities may dominate the view and be the major focus of viewer attention. However, every attempt should be made to minimize the effect of the activities through careful location, minimal disturbance, and repeating the basic elements of form, line, color, and texture.

Adhere to the following timber harvest scenarios to meet Visual Resource Management Class II, III, and IV objectives. Based on the visual resources rating system and site specific conditions, these scenarios or others may be used.

VRM II:		Timber management approaches to meet Visual Resource Management Class II objectives will employ single tree selection, uneven-aged harvest, retention of shelterwood overstory trees or group selection management in seen areas. Larger regeneration harvests will be in unseen areas. Fire suppression and fuels management standards will be established to meet Visual Resource Management Class II objectives. To permit screening of regeneration harvests and permit time for regrowth between sequential entries, regeneration harvests will not remove more than 6.6 percent of any seen Visual Resource Management Class II area in a given decade.
VRM III:		Timber management approaches to meet Visual Resource Management Class III objectives will employ either short-term retention of shelterwood overstory trees, or use of regeneration harvests which have less than ten acres of seen area and which do not disturb more than ten percent of the seen Visual Resource Management Class III area in any decade. Where possible, regeneration harvests will be screened from key viewing points along major travel routes by uncut areas or by shelterwood units or young stands.
VRM IV:		No specific visual management constraints will apply to lands managed for Visual Resource Management Class IV objectives, but mitigation of visual impacts will be incorporated where consistent with efficient timber harvest or other management activities.

Employ guidelines of the revised Oregon Forest Practices Act, Section 17, in visually sensitive corridors along Interstate 5 and State Highways 38, 42, and 138.

Monitor Visual Resource Management according to District Visual Resource Management monitoring procedures.

Conduct Visual Resource Management inventories on newly acquired public lands.