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Bureau of Land Management
Visual Resources

Federal Agency Visual Resource Documents

All documents presented on the Visual Resources Clearinghouse Website are also available below, and may be sorted by title, issuing agency, or topic area. See below for topic and agency abbreviations.

Title Agency Topic
Form 8400-1 Scenic Quality Field Inventory Form BLM VRI
Form 8400-5 Scenic Quality Rating Summary Form BLM VRI
Form 8400-6 Sensitivity Level Rating Sheet BLM VRI
Best Management Practices for Reducing Visual Impacts Associated with Renewable Energy Facilities on BLM-Administered Lands BLM Mitigation
BLM Manual 8431 - Visual Resource Contrast Rating BLM VIA
BLM Manual 8410 - Visual Resource Inventory BLM VRI
BLM Manual 8400 - Visual Resource Management BLM VR Program
The Use of Color for Camouflage Concealment of Facilities (BLM Technical Note 446) BLM Mitigation
Technical Bulletin #12 – 001: Visual Impact Assessment (VIA) Methodology for Offshore Development Cape Code Commission VIA
Offshore Wind Turbine Visibility and Visual Impact Threshold Distance Study BOEM VIA
Form 8400-4 Visual Contrast Rating Worksheet BLM VIA
Forest Service Manual 2800 - Chapter 2380: Landscape Management USFS VRI
IM 2009-043, Wind Energy Development Policy BLM VR Program
IM 2009-167, Application of the Visual Resource Management Program to Renewable Energy BLM VR Program
IM98-164 Summary of Visual Resource Management (VRM) Issues Discussed In Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance et. al., 144 IBLA 70 (1998) BLM VR Program
Visibility and Visual Characteristics of the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System Power Tower Facility BLM VIA
Measuring the Visibility of High Voltage Transmission Facilities in the Pacific Northwest BPA VIA
USFS Agriculture Handbook 701 Landscape Aesthetics: A Handbook for Scenery Management USFS VR Program
The National Park Service Visual Resource Program: Supporting Parks in Scenery Conservation NPS VR Program
Electric Transmission Visibility and Visual Contrast Threshold Distances in Western Landscapes BLM VIA
National Forest Landscape Management, Volume 2, Chapter 2: Utilities USFS Mitigation
National Forest Landscape Management, Volume 2, Chapter 4: Roads USFS Mitigation
NCHRP Report 741: Evaluation of Methodologies for Visual Impact Assessments FHWA VIA
The National Park Service Visual Resource Inventory: Incorporating Historic and Cultural Values into Scenic Resource Inventories NPS VRI
Guide to Evaluating Visual Impact Assessments for Renewable Energy Projects NPS VIA
Scenic Assessment Handbook State of Maine VRI
Assessing the Reliability, Validity and Generalizability of Observer-Based Visual Impact Assessment Methods for the Western United States USFS, BLM VIA
Visual Impacts of Utility-scale Solar Energy Facilities on Southwestern Desert Landscapes NPS, BLM VIA
Utility-Scale Solar Energy Facility Visual Impact Characterization and Mitigation Study DOE VIA
Form ID Viewpoint Identification Form NPS VRI
Documenting America's Scenic Treasures: The National Park Service Visual Resource Inventory NPS VRI
Guidelines for the Visual Impact Assessment of Highway Projects FHWA VIA
Visual Resource Management for Fluid Minerals Best Management Practices: Better Methods for Achieving Better Results BLM Mitigation
Visual Resources Assessment Procedure for US Army Corps of Engineers USACE VIA
Wind Turbine Visibility and Visual Impact Threshold Distance Study BLM VIA
View Description and Scenic Quality Data NPS VRI
View Description and Scenic Quality Data Instructions NPS VRI
View Importance Rating Guide NPS VRI
View Importance Data - Instructions NPS VRI
View Importance Data NPS VRI
Visual Resources Program - Inventory Factsheet NPS VRI
Visual Resources Program - Factsheet NPS VR Program
NRCS Technical Release TR-65 "Procedure to Establish Priorities in Landscape Architecture" NRCS VR Program
Visibility and Visual Characteristics of the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Power Tower Facility BLM VIA
Evaluating Photosimulations for Visual Impact Assessments NPS VIA

    Topic abbreviations:

  • VIA = Visual Impact Assessment
  • VR = Visual Resources
  • VRI = Visual Resource Inventory

    Agency abbreviations:

  • BLM = Bureau of Land Management
  • BOEM = Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
  • BPA = Bonneville Power Administration
  • DOE = Department of Energy
  • FHWA = Federal Highway Administration
  • NPS = National Park Service
  • NRCS = National Resources Conservation Service
  • USACE = U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • USFS = United States Forest Service