The fundamental objective of the research is:

The creation of sustainable aesthetically appropriate forestry which is valuable both as a commercial and an amenity resource.

Specific Objectives:

• To develop a procedure for the assessment of landscape that will ensure control of forestry development, thereby providing a basis for producing a land use policy with respect to forestry aesthetics and amenity.
• To develop methodologies to provide a structure and checklist for the design process which will ensure proper development of forestry in aesthetically sensitive landscapes.
• To develop forest and amenity design prototypes as working guidelines ensuring general applicability throughout many landscapes in Europe
• To develop a methodology to identify and quantitatively assess the potentially adverse visual impacts of forestry.
• To explore the use of integrated computer graphic systems for landscape design in order to achieve photo-realistic and detailed simulations of proposed developments.
• To examine the possibility of diversifying silvicultural systems to maximise aesthetic quality but taking cognisance of commercial concerns.
• To determine public attitude and preference regarding forestry throughout a significant selection of E.U. countries.

Results will comprise:

• Detailed methodologies and techniques for determination of aesthetic quality objectives in relation to forestry and amenity in the context of a complex rural environment.
• A record of public preference and attitudes towards forestry in general as well as of preference with respect to aesthetic experience of forests in each participant country.
• Computer-based landscape design techniques which are sufficiently user friendly and cost effective to preclude extraordinary specialist computer training and expertise.
• Exploration of species used as well as silvicultural systems practised throughout Europe which may be appropriate in the design of commercial and amenity forest landscapes.
• A collection of pan-European forest landscape design prototypes which will be of use in guiding decision makers in the implementation of forest projects which are sympathetic to the surrounding landscape.
• A procedure for the assessment of the visual impact of forestry and amenity development.
• An evaluation of the relative advantages and disadvantages of design proposals compared with purely commercial forestry with respect to management, economics and ecology.

1) Technical:

• The guidelines and methodologies being produced will be useful to both statutory planning and forestry authorities for the planning or zoning of landscape for forestry. In addition, on a broader scale, the procedure will essentially be of use to all bodies concerned with the consideration of the aesthetics of landscape as a determinant in development control, including, for example, building in rural areas, suburban expansion and agriculture.
• Landscapes have been selected to include a broad variety of land form, vegetation, land use and amenities to ensure the general applicability throughout the E.U. of not only the methodologies, but also the prototype designs produced.
• The computer graphic techniques, are being selected to be user friendly for ease of application by foresters, landscape architects and planning authorities.

2) Scientific:

• Significant information is being produced in yet under-researched areas: visual resource management and visual quality objectives with respect to forestry, public preferences and attitudes towards forestry in Europe, and guidelines specific to forest interiors.

3) Economic:

• The potentially aesthetic amenity resource of forestry, as part of integrated rural and tourism development, will be optimised and developed.

4) Environmental:

• The visual impact assessment procedure will be of assistance in safeguarding against forest design of poor or mediocre quality, especially in areas of high aesthetic vulnerability, ensuring compliance with appropriate standards and the creation of a sustainable rural aesthetic resource.