FOPB strat plan scenic beauty

Strategic plan FOPB

Scenic Beauty Protection

* Scenic Beauty is an economically important natural resource around Penobscot Bay, as coastal forests succumb to sprawl, bit by bit,  In 1990 Maine developed a scenic beauty algorithm that uses baselines to grade scenic viewsheds' "quality" However it is infrequently used in coastal development decisionmaking. Can the survey be updated? Greater access to recent satellite footage shows  coastal development since then. 

The 'Water Views' methodology clearly defined what variables  contribute to the classification of scenic resources as either "Present" or "Outstanding. The factors are:

1.     Elevation

• present - hilltops over 100' within 1/4 mile of the shoreline 

• outstanding - hilltops over 150' within 1/4 mile of the shoreline

2. Steep Slopes

• present - 25% for 1/2 mile

• outstanding - slopes in excess of 40%

3. Sense of Enclosure (going to take me a couple minutes to wrap my head around this one)

4. Configuration

• present - shoreline irregularity

• outstanding - highly configured shoreline, many indentations within 1/4 mile of each other

5. Cultural Features (This is the most subjective data element)

• present - visually harmonious development that either blends in with or enhances the character of landscapes

• outstanding - concentrations of features of unusually high scenic value (usually more than three within 1/4 mile of each other)

6. Physical Features

• present - sand beaches, islands, exposed granite shoreline

• outstanding - concentrations of features of unusually high scenic value (usually more than three within 1/4 mile of each other)

7. Wildlife Features

• present - wildlife areas defined by US FIsh and Wildlife

• outstanding - areas of high value

8. Vegetation Diversity

• present - more than a single cover type

• outstanding - four or more cover types

Project idea, develop  an online model to allow for development scenarios to be analyzed to see the impact they would have on the viewshed. This would provide a baseline and quantitative and qualitative output to see the contribution/detraction from the place.