Environmental process | Environmental review | Visual Quality
Visual Quality prepared statements
Projects with no adverse or beneficial effect on visual quality
If a project will have no adverse or beneficial effect on visual quality, use the following statement:
No significant impact to the visual resources of the natural, cultural, and project environments is anticipated. No significant impact to the ability of the affected population to view visual resources is anticipated. Visual quality will, therefore, not be altered by the proposed project. The proposed project will have no significant adverse impacts to visual quality nor will it create any opportunities to enhance visual quality in the project area.
Projects that have an effect on visual quality
If your project has an effect on visual quality, choose one of the following statements as appropriate.
For projects that have impacts on visual resources, use:
The proposed project will create (adverse or beneficial) impacts to visual quality by causing (minor or major) changes to the visual resources of the (natural, cultural, or project) environments. (List particular resources which will be affected. List adverse impacts first, enhancements, second.)
For projects with major adverse impacts to visual resources, use:
The proposed project will mitigate (avoid, minimize, or compensate for) adverse impacts to (natural, cultural, or project) visual resources. It will (list specific mitigation practices.)
For projects with minor adverse impacts to visual resources, use:
The adverse impacts to (natural, cultural, or project) visual resources are minor. No mitigation of adverse impacts is necessary.
If applicable, use more than one of these statements. For example, if your project has minor impacts to cultural visual resources and major impacts to natural visual resources, use the last two statements above.
Projects with opportunities for enhancing visual resources
For projects with opportunities to enhance visual resources, use:
The proposed project will enhance visual quality by removing undesirable (inharmonious, disorderly, or incoherent) visual resources; by rehabilitating formerly desirable (harmonious, orderly, or coherent) visual resources; (and or) by adding desirable (harmonious, orderly, or coherent) visual resources. It will (list specific enhancements.)
For projects that impact viewing, use:
The proposed project will create (adverse or beneficial) impacts to visual quality by causing (localized or widespread) changes in the ability of (neighbors or travelers) to see the visual resources of the (natural, cultural, or project) environments. (List particular views that will be affected. List adverse impacts first, enhancements, second.)
For projects with widespread impacts to viewing, use:
The proposed project will mitigate adverse impacts of (neighbors or travelers) to see desirable (harmonious, orderly, or coherent) scenes. The project will avoid (diminishing or obstructing) desirable (harmonious, orderly, or coherent) views. Impacts that cannot be avoided will be minimized. The project will compensate for impacts which cannot be minimized. It will (list specific mitigation practices.)
For projects with localized impacts to viewing, add:
The adverse impacts to viewing by (neighbors or travelers) are minor. No mitigation of adverse impacts is necessary.
If applicable, use more than one of these statements. For example, if your project has minor impacts to travelers and major impacts to neighbors, use the last two statements above.
For projects that enhance viewing:
The proposed project will enhance visual quality by limiting access to undesirable (inharmonious, disorderly, or incoherent) views or by improving access to desirable (harmonious, orderly, or coherent) views. It will (list specific enhancements.)