The Department may require a visual impact assessment if a
proposed activity appears to be located within the viewshed of, and has the
potential to have an unreasonable adverse impact on, a scenic resource listed
in Section
10. An applicant's visual impact
assessment should visualize the proposed activity and evaluate potential
adverse impacts of that activity on existing scenic and aesthetic uses of a
protected natural resource within the viewshed of a scenic resource, and to
determine effective mitigation strategies, if appropriate. If required, a
visual impact assessment must be prepared by a design professional trained in
visual assessment procedures, or as otherwise directed by the
Department.
In all visual impact assessments, scenic resources within the
viewshed of the proposed activity must be identified and the existing
surrounding landscape must be described. The assessment must be completed
following standard professional practices to illustrate the proposed change to
the visual environment and the effectiveness of any proposed mitigation
measures. The radius of the impact area to be analyzed must be based on the
relative size and scope of the proposed activity given the specific location.
Areas of the scenic resource from which the activity will be visible, including
representative and worst-case viewpoints, must be identified. Line-of-sight
profiles constitute the simplest acceptable method of illustrating the
potential visual impact of the proposed activity from viewpoints within the
context of its viewshed. A line-of-sight profile represents the path, real or
imagined, that the eye follows from a specific point to another point when
viewing the landscape. See Appendix A for guidance on line-of-sight profiles.
For activities with more sensitive conditions, photosimulations and
computer-generated graphics may be required.
A visual impact assessment must also include narratives to
describe the significance of any potential impacts, the level of use and viewer
expectations, measures taken to avoid and minimize visual impacts, and steps
that have been incorporated into the activity design that may mitigate any
potential adverse visual impacts to scenic resources.
