by Tiegan Paulson
cover photo by Catherine Schmitt
The view from the top of Barnard Mountain is good, but I don’t know that we expected it to score perfect marks. At the time, myself and the other Gero Fellows were at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, working with two of their technicians on something called Visual Resources Inventory (VRI). The task was to assess scenic views for the beauty based on a nine-part rubric, scoring them 1-5 in each category. Barnard’s view was good, but nothing had achieved a perfect score. At least, not yet.
Putting a number on beauty felt pretty strange at first, but the information is actually quite helpful for managers to have. Katahdin Woods and Waters is new to the National Park System, designated in 2016, so staffers haven’t had very much time to work on infrastructure. Trails need to be built and maintained, signage needs to be installed, and it helps to know where the good views are when choosing what to prioritize. That’s where VRI comes in. The process requires a group of people to come to a collective decision about a view, a little bit like a jury during a court trial. Everyone comes up with their own numbers, and then a discussion takes place to arrive at a group decision.
At the top of Barnard, we pulled out the clip boards and assessment sheets and got to work. Each view took about 45 minutes of consideration and discussion. From our vantage point, the “lines” were good, the colors were “bold” relative to typical conditions, and there weren’t any out-of-place structures. We checked through the other six factors—landscape features, quality and condition of features, focal points, spatial relationship, scale relationship, color harmony—and when all was considered, Barnard’s view scored a perfect 45.
VRI is designed to make the subjectivity of beauty as objective as possible by defining specific factors and bringing multiple viewpoints. But the appearance of a place is only half of the equation. Back at the office, there’s another conversation to be had about the importance of each view. Most national park units have a mix of reasons for designation. When considering the significance of a view, managers need to consider what it can teach visitors about the place.
In the case of Katahdin Woods and Waters, this includes stories about biodiversity, geology, logging, and human history as well as Wabanaki perspectives. These are routes that have been travelled for thousands of years, and forests known for just as long. Wabanaki and other perspectives will be considered by National Park Service (NPS) staff as they decide where to focus their efforts.
When done well, visual resources such as the ones being evaluated serve to deepen the experience and connection between visitors and the monument’s purpose. Spots like the one on Barnard aren’t just a pretty view. They offer a chance to consider the past, present, and future of a place that means so much to so many.
The Gero Fellows spent five days assisting with VRI at the monument. Together with NPS staff, we completed aesthetic assessments of eleven views.
