ABSTRACT
The Bureau of Land Management is managing visual resources on an equal basis with all other resources as it continues to put public land to productive use. Visual Resource Management (VRM) has two program purposes: it manages the quality of the visual environment, and it reduces the visual impact of development activites. Managing the visual aspects of changes to the natural landscape is particularly important for the Bureau of Land Management because most activities taking place on bureau lands involve some degree of alteration. The VRM system is an analytical process that identifies, sets, and meets objectives for maintaining scenic values and visual quality. The inventory/evaluation process in VRM consists of three steps: assessment of the visual or scenic quality of the landscape, the sensitivity of the people to change(s) in the landscape, and the viewing distance. Management Classes describe the different degrees of modification allowed to the basic elements of the landscape.
