Kuebler, Jeffrey2021-06-132021-06-132021-06-13https://hdl.handle.net/1794/2634853 pages. Committee chair: Rob RibeThe Columbia River Gorge separates Oregon and Washington along a 75 mile stretch of poignant beauty became a drivable destination in the 1920’s [Willis]. There are key view areas on this route of elevated aesthetic quality. The conservation of intact scenic landscape beauty from these key view areas is informed by strata of local and regional land use policy, as well as conservation trust land banking. The Gorge Commission, given its duties through the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act in 1986, enforces the landscape conservation policies [gorgecommission]. A brief history of the legal framework and controversy of the Act is offered. This project looks into identifying land use policy mechanisms in place for preservation of scenic beauty, across public and private properties visible from three exceptional viewpoints in the Columbia River Gorge that represent some of the most scenic and most visited scenic points. Scenic quality in the Gorge is generally preserved through limiting housing development, with the assumption that unnatural objects in scenery detract from scenic beauty. Representation of spatial data is projected on viewshed scale, and differentiated at a tax parcel basis. Data was extracted from publicly available GIS sources, and projected onto map views and panoramic scenes. Site photography of the represented key view areas is joined for better visual comparison between what is seen and visual stewardship policies. This project is a visual document intended to represent of some of the most visited and publicly valued places in the Gorge. This document is intended for a general audience to better understand why the landscape looks the way it does in the Columbia River Gorge. Through offering a better understanding of how policy shapes the landscape we see in the Gorge, more informed public discussions about the Gorge’s visual future can be held. The document and visuals are also intended to be a platform from which further modeling and public preference surveys, including alternative visual future scenarios, may be developed for Commission and community review.en-USCreative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-USColumbia GorgeVisual Policy ImpactScenic BeautyLand Use policyGISTerminal Project