Identifying and Evaluating Impacts - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 433

derived from the public's use of a historic site as a an educational or recreational facility.
This may be accomplished by employing established benei t estimation methods, most of
which have been developed for evaluating outdoor recreation. The objective is to deter-
mine the willingness of users, including local residents and tourists, to pay for the experi-
ences or services the site provides even though no payment is presently being made. The
calculation of user benei ts will normally require some study of the visitor population.

Integrity and Condition
Both the integrity and condition of an historic site are important considerations in evalu-
ating signii cance. However, an assessment of integrity and condition alone is not sufi -
cient to establish signii cance. These factors are probably best viewed as specii c criteria for
measuring certain types of signii cance (e.g. public signii cance). Integrity refers to a site's
degree of authenticity, and, in this respect, pertains chiel y to historic buildings or architec-
tural sites. These heritage properties may possess integrity of design, workmanship, mate-
rials, and/or location or setting. Condition, on the other hand, applies to all historic sites,
and refers to the degree of disturbance or dilapidation of a site.

How to Objectively Judge Project Impacts?

As with most other impact assessments, direct impacts are readily evaluated, but indirect
impacts may prove more difi cult to assess. Construction will either damage the site or it
will not. Similarly, project components will either obscure the site (from any given van-
tage points) or they will not. On the other hand, increased population or accessibility due
to the project may or may not indirectly lead to damage to a heritage site by vandalism or
by accident. Again, it may not be possible to quantify the increased risk of damage due to
the project, but in most cases, recognition of the risk will lead to the adoption of protective
measures, so that risks are minimized.
Impacts to sites of spiritual signii cance are particularly difi cult to evaluate, partly
because it is virtually impossible for the signii cance to be appreciated by anyone other
than those who are spiritually involved, and partly because of the secrecy and taboos that
are commonly associated with such sites. Clearly, the assessment of such sites requires close
consultation with those to whom such sites are important.

Impacts to sites of spiritual
signifi cance are particularly
diffi cult to evaluate, partly
because it is virtually impossible
for the signifi cance to be
appreciated by anyone other
than those who are spiritually
involved, and partly because of
the secrecy and taboos that are
commonly associated with such
sites.

9.8 THE SPECIAL NATURE OF COMMUNITY IMPACTS

The term 'community' encompasses a range of dei nitions, and analyzing community
impacts is not an easy undertaking. Community analyses vary widely but they are usually
concerned with the topics and subjects listed in Table 9.9 . Approaches to analyzing com-
munity impacts differ from most methodologies developed to evaluate physical-chemical
or biological environmental changes. This text does not attempt to capture the vast body
of knowledge that exists in social sciences; the interested reader is referred to specialized
literature for further reading. However, the following text briel y discusses the subjects of
growth inducement, community cohesion, and relocation to illustrate the many facets of
community impacts, and their evaluation.
As Table 9.9 shows, community impact analysis considers how the mining project will
affect people, communities, institutions, and larger social and economic systems, some-
times referred to collectively as socioeconomic impacts. Most community impacts, of