Scenic Vistas and the Changing Policy Landscape: Visualizing and Testing the Role of Visual Resources in Ecosystem Management

Abstract

The Northwest Forest Plan applies a shift in policy to national forests in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, with implications for other public landscapes. This shift offers potentially strong scenic implications for areas that have historically emphasized clearcutting with little visual impact mitigation. These areas will now emphasize biocentric concerns and harvests formed accordingly. Public perceptions of a simulation of this landscape transformation indicate that it offers to improve the beauty of large vistas. Changes in small vistas and harvests nearer to viewers will still require visual management. Implications for policy stability and the management of forest aesthetics are discussed.