The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) should use standard measures to reduce the visual impact of proposed actions within trail settings, where setting is a contributing element of eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places and the setting has integrity. Standard measures should be used as stipulations or conditions of approval attached to authorizations. Standard measures, or BMPs, for reducing the visibility of proposed actions include, but are not limited to:
Apply a controlled surface use (CSU) stipulation to surface-disturbing activities or surface occupancy.
Visual Contrast Ratings and, as appropriate, require visual simulations.
Consolidate project facilities among oil and gas developers; maximize use of existing locations.
Develop coordinated road and pipeline systems.
Reduce the amount of surface development by consolidating facilities.
Use low profile facilities.
Locate projects to maximize the use of topography and vegetation to screen development.
Design projects to blend with topographic forms and existing vegetation patterns.
Use environmental coloration or advance camouflage techniques to reduce the visual impact of facilities that cannot be completely hidden.
Use broken linear patterns for road developments to screen roads as much as possible. This can include feathering or blending of the edges of linear rights-of-way to soften the dominant line form.
For livestock control, use electric fencing with low-visibility fiberglass posts and environmental colors.
Design linear facilities and seismic lines to run parallel to key observation points rather than perpendicular.
Position facilities to present less of a visual impact (e.g., a facility with several tanks lined up so that one obscures the visibility of the others).