MANAGING AESTHETIC VALUES - WEYERHAEUSER-COMPANY APPROACH

Weyerhaeuser Company owns and manages approximately 1.5 million acres of forestland in western Washington State, much of it close to or easi ly accessible from major metropolitan areas. Heavily traveled highways pass through the properties, bringing motorists and recreationists in to close contact with industrial forest management. Under such interac tive conditions, forest practices that detract from the esthetic value of the forestland could lead the public to believe the environment is mismanaged. To alleviate public concern, the Washington Division of t he Weyerhaeuser Company asked a team of seven land managers to incorpo rate forest esthetics into company land management prescriptions.