EFFECTS OF GRAVEL REMOVAL ON AESTHETICS 

 D. K. Hardinger 



INTRODUCTION 



Aesthetics pertains to manmade modifications of natural landscape fea- 

 tures to a degree that public concern may be expressed. Aesthetic concerns 

 of State and Federal government include maintenance of visual resource values 

 by minimizing undesirable modifications to natural landscapes. 



Visual resource values of natural landscapes are the particular physical 

 components of an area that have been identified as having high value based 

 on any number of measurable criteria. These could include unique cultural, 

 historical, recreational, geological, or biological significance. Typically 

 the management objectives of an agency having statutory powers for maintaining 

 visual resource values are to protect land areas identified as having high 

 aesthetic values. The agencies may do this by diverting proposed construction 

 to less valued locations, modifying the construction plan, or requiring the 

 application of mitigating measures where construction-related visual impact 

 proves unavoidable. 



Maintenance of visual resource values has become increasingly important 

 to the American people. Federal legislation has recognized this concern by 

 establishing the visual resource as an integral and coequal resource under 

 the multiple-use concept of land management. At the same time, there is an 

 increasing demand for other resource developments that may not be compatible 



This section was reviewed and input was provided by B. Sharky of Land Design 

 North. 



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