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Forest Practices > Visual Quality
Visual Quality
Visual Resource Management
Welcome
In British Columbia, the scenic landscapes are highly valued by both residents and visitors. Scenic viewing is an important component of virtually all recreation and tourism activities on BC’s public forest lands. Scenic landscapes both natural and managed provide the primary resource base for B.C.'s growing tourism industry, and are marketed internationally through the theme of "Super Natural British Columbia".
The goal of the Ministry of Forests for managing Scenic Landscapes is to ensure that the levels of Visual Quality desired by society are achieved on all crown land in Scenic Areas in keeping with the concepts and principles of integrated resource management.
The first step in managing the visual resource is the completion of visual landscape Inventory. The purpose of the visual landscape inventory is to provide information about the visual condition, characteristics and sensitivity to alteration of areas and travel corridors throughout the province. This information is intended to assist land use and resource managers in deciding appropriate land uses, resource development objectives and management prescriptions. Once the inventory for an area has been completed, the most sensitive landscapes are made known as scenic areas under the
Forest and Range Practices Act to enable management. Once this has been done the level of management is defined by establishing a Visual Quality Objective. Where this has been done licensees must
prepare results and strategies that are consistent with the Visual Quality
Objective (VQO).
Roles
Branch:
- Develops the regulations policy and procedures that govern the Visual Resource Management Program.
- Conducts research in support of policy development.
- Provides technical advice training and extension services.
- Monitors implementation of VRM activity.
Regions:
- Co-ordinates VRM activities and ensures consistency of application between districts.
- Review draft policies, procedures and standards.
- Review TFL management Plans.
- Provides technical advice training and extension services.
Districts:
- Carry out Visual Landscape Inventories on the landbase.
- Establish VQOs consistent with Higher Level Plans.
- Review licensee FSP submissions.
- Review Visual Impact Assessments.
- Conduct effectiveness evaluations.
Licensees
- TFL licensees carry out Visual Landscape Inventories within their License area.
- Prepare results and strategies consistent with VQOs.
- Prepare visual impact assessments in support of results and
strategies where required.
Meet the staff
Forest
Practices Branch Staff:
Jacques Marc, RFT, Senior
Visual Resource Specialist
Ph: (250) 387-8481 E-mail: Jacques.Marc@gov.bc.ca
Paul Picard, F.Eng. M.sc.
Visual Landscape Inventory Specialist
Ph: (250) 356-9049 Email:
Paul.Picard@gov.bc.ca
Northern Interior Forest Region
Luc
Roberge, RPF, Visual Resource Specialist
Ph: (250) 565- 6142 E-mail: Luc.Roberge@gov.bc.ca
Southern Interior Region
Peter
Rennie, RPF, Visual Landscape Forester
Ph: (250) 828-4175 E-mail: Peter.Rennie@gov.bc.ca
Coast
Region
Lloyd Davies, RPF, Visual
Landscape Forester
Ph. (250) 751-7112 E-mail: Lloyd.Davies@gov.bc.ca
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Last updated on
June 20, 2007
The contact for this web page is: tim.ebata@gov.bc.ca |
