Abstract

A GIS Tool for Managing Visual Quality in British Columbia
Track: Forestry
Authors: Michael Meitner, Brent Chamberlain, Kristen Lambke

British Columbia is known internationally for its natural scenic beauty. It is also known for is vast forests and natural resources. Management of these resources are important to the livelihoods of British Columbians. Several decades ago, The BC Ministry of Forests passed legal restrictions stipulating the amount and kind of harvests that could exist in visually sensitive areas. Today those legal restrictions are still in effect. They account for the protection of over 14.6 million hectares of forest, roughly 25% of all forested lands in BC. Our work uses GIS to help managers design and assess harvest in ways that are relevant to people. The methods can also be used to help identify places missing from the protected areas and as well to compare the potential visual sensitivity between regions in BC.