First Name:
Carl
Last Name:
Anderson
Major Department:
Geography & Planning
Thesis Director:
Arthur Rex
Date of Thesis:
May 2010
Conservation Trust for North Carolina (CTNC) collaborates with the National Park Service to preserve land in proximity of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Parkway. The visibility of parcels or viewsheds within a two-mile buffer of the Parkway was examined. A distance decay model was created to lessen visibility impact as distance from observer points increased (Fels and Tomlinson, 1995), (Harness, 2002). Escalating pressures of development and land degradation are threatening scenic views in this region (Harness, 2002). Evaluation, identification, and mapping of the parcels that have the greatest need for preservation are critical steps toward the conservation of this land. This parcel prioritization analysis uses a GIS to output information allowing CTNC an effective and efficient methodology to evaluate the 30,000 plus parcels within the study area. Each parcel is ranked within the GIS, aiding in the decision making process and allocation of conservation resources.