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4 Environmental Analysis <br /> 4.1 Aesthetics <br /> 4 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS <br /> 4.1 AESTHETICS <br /> This section identifies and evaluates issues related to aesthetic resources in the context of the <br /> Griffith Energy Storage Project (Project). It includes the physical and regulatory setting, the criteria <br /> used to evaluate the significance of potential impacts, the methods used in evaluating these <br /> impacts, and the results of the impact assessment. San Joaquin County (County) did not receive <br /> scoping comments related to aesthetic resources. <br /> A separate Visual Impact Assessment was prepared for the proposed Project and is provided as <br /> Appendix C of this Draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIR). The following discussion <br /> includes summaries and provides specific discussions of results and conclusions. <br /> 4.1.1 Aesthetics Concepts and Methodology <br /> Individuals' values, familiarity with a landscape, concern for a landscape, or interpretation of scenic <br /> quality can lead to varying individual determinations of scenic quality and varying individual <br /> responses to changes made to a landscape. Due to unique individual attachments to values for a <br /> particular landscape, visual changes will inherently affect viewers differently. However, general <br /> assumptions can be made about viewer sensitivity to scenic quality and visual changes. For the <br /> purpose of this analysis, visual or aesthetic resources are defined as both the natural and built <br /> features of the landscape that contribute to the public's experience and appreciation of a given <br /> environment. <br /> 4.1.1.1 Visual Change Criteria <br /> Visual impacts are generally defined in terms of a project's physical characteristics and potential <br /> visibility, as well as the extent to which the project's presence would change the perceived visual <br /> character and quality of the environment in which it would be located. Tetra Tech followed the <br /> contrast rating system used by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to objectively <br /> measure potential changes to the visual environment (BLM 1986). The BLM's contrast rating <br /> system is commonly used by federal agencies to assess potential visual resource impacts from <br /> proposed projects and is also commonly used for non-federal projects due to its usefulness in <br /> providing a quantitative system of analysis. <br /> Potential visual impacts were characterized by determining the level of visual contrast introduced <br /> by the Project based on comparing existing conditions and photo simulations. Visual contrast is <br /> a means to evaluate the level of modification to existing landscape features. Existing landscape <br /> is defined by the visual characteristics (form, line, color, and texture)associated with the landform <br /> (including water), vegetation, and existing development. <br /> The BLM's Visual Resource Inventory (VRI) classification system is a baseline description of the <br /> existing scenic values in the environment. The VRI identifies the visual resources of a given area <br /> and based on specific standards, assigns an inventory class to each area. This process, further <br /> described in detail in BLM Manual H-8410-1 (BLM 2010), involves rating the resource's visual <br /> qualities, measuring public concern, and determining the extent to which an area is visible from <br /> travel routes and other observation points. Those three factors then determine which of the four <br /> Griffith Energy Storage Project 4.1-1 Tetra Tech/SCH 2022120675 <br /> Draft Environmental Impact Report August 2023 <br />