Visual Controls in
Landscape Planning, Design, Goals, and Policies:
Litton explains that “In a longer term view of the landscape
and sustaining its varied qualities, landscape inventories and assessments of
region and locality are tools to affect visual controls in landscape planning
and design” (pg. 84). He also suggests
that monitoring and revisions to plans are necessary, and that landscape
analyses should be maintained to keep track of the dynamics of the change,
including outside influences such as fire, natural disasters, and insect
infestation. The author discusses the need
for landscape planning that protects all scenic resources, not just the
spectacular. Litton acknowledges that it
is important to maintain an interdependent relationship between visual controls
and landscape planning and design, as one is just as important as the other.
The author expresses general goals in protecting visual
qualities in a regional landscape. He emphasizes
that “To address the visual integrity…means to account for the landscape
management intentions within a set of identified” areas or units (pg. 84). Litton suggests the following terms to
express the degree of changes between natural between man-made domination.
- Preservation
- Protection/Retention/Maintenance
- Alteration/Modification
- Rehabilitation/Restoration
- Degradation/Deterioration/Destruction
These terms use landscape examples or displays as a graphic explanation. The National Forest Service has adopted these
terms as “visual quality objectives”.
Design policies are founded on design solutions that appear
appropriate for each specific site within unit scale. Litton explains that further study needs to
be conducted on the visual interrelationships between individual projects or
changes and the surrounding landscape. He argues that visual relationships need
critical analysis if there are to be improvements in visual management.
Visual Controls in
Landscape Planning, Design, Goals, and Policies applied to Vistas:
The long term goals of vista management are to create places
for people to observe, interpret, and enjoy iconic natural landscapes. These areas must also be maintained in a way
that is beneficial to the Park, its visitors, and the surrounding flora and
fauna. Even though these areas are
considered by Litton to be alterations or modifications of the landscape, they
will encourage native plants to reclaim and dominate these clearings. Within a relatively short time, these vista
clearings should be nearly self-sustaining, requiring minimal vegetation removal
every seven years.
Typical Park vista management planning only focuses on removing vegetation, and does not address additional ways to manage the clearing in the future. By adding the use of herbicide and encouraging low growing shrubs to maintain the clearing, future re-clearing work will be minimal and require a small crew. My vista management recommendations
offer a solution that financially beneficial for the Park,
provides visitors with long term vista opportunities, and allows new ecosystems mimicking naturally occurring clearings of desirable native plants to flourish.
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