LARE LARE Prep Section 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) when a proposed action:
- Costs more than $10 million in federal funds
- May significantly affect the quality of the human environment (Correct answer)
- Involves any alteration to a waterway or wetland
- Requires removal of more than 50 trees on federal land
Correct answer: May significantly affect the quality of the human environment
NEPA mandates an EIS when a federal agency's proposed action may significantly affect the quality of the human environment, regardless of cost.
Question 2: Section 404 of the Clean Water Act regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material into:
- Municipal stormwater drainage systems
- Waters of the United States, including wetlands (Correct answer)
- Groundwater aquifer recharge zones
- Ocean waters within the 200-mile exclusive economic zone
Correct answer: Waters of the United States, including wetlands
Section 404 requires a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers before discharging dredged or fill material into waters of the US, including adjacent wetlands.
Question 3: A 'viewshed analysis' in site inventory and analysis is used to determine:
- The optimal orientation of a site for solar access
- The extent of land area visible from a specific point or series of points (Correct answer)
- The speed at which stormwater flows across a drainage basin
- The visual quality rating of a landscape according to BLM criteria
Correct answer: The extent of land area visible from a specific point or series of points
A viewshed analysis maps all areas visible from a given vantage point or points, used to protect scenic resources or assess visual impact.
Question 4: In a site suitability analysis using GIS overlay mapping, areas where multiple constraint layers overlap are typically:
- Identified as the highest priority areas for development
- Excluded from development consideration or rated least suitable (Correct answer)
- Assigned the average suitability score of all overlapping constraints
- Flagged for immediate environmental remediation
Correct answer: Excluded from development consideration or rated least suitable
Overlay analysis identifies areas where multiple constraints (steep slopes, wetlands, floodplains) coincide, which are rated least suitable or excluded from development.
Question 5: The 100-year floodplain is defined as the area that has a flood inundation probability of:
- Occurring once in every 100 years exactly
- 1% annual chance of being flooded in any given year (Correct answer)
- 100% chance of flooding over a 100-year period
- Being flooded by storms greater than 100 inches of rainfall
Correct answer: 1% annual chance of being flooded in any given year
The 100-year floodplain has a 1% annual chance of flooding — it is a statistical probability, not a guaranteed 100-year recurrence interval.
Question 6: A landscape architect conducting a visual preference survey (VPS) as part of a community engagement process is primarily trying to:
- Identify which design team member has the best aesthetic judgment
- Gauge community aesthetic values and preferences to inform design decisions (Correct answer)
- Satisfy a regulatory requirement for public participation in NEPA review
- Determine the monetary value of scenic resources in the project area
Correct answer: Gauge community aesthetic values and preferences to inform design decisions
A visual preference survey systematically captures community aesthetic preferences to ensure design decisions reflect the values of the people who will use the space.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the 'urban heat island' (UHI) effect that landscape architects can help mitigate?
- Increased UV radiation in cities due to reduced tree canopy cover
- Elevated temperatures in urbanized areas caused by heat-absorbing surfaces and reduced vegetation (Correct answer)
- The tendency for urban buildings to block cooling ocean breezes
- Higher ground-level ozone concentrations in downtown areas during summer
Correct answer: Elevated temperatures in urbanized areas caused by heat-absorbing surfaces and reduced vegetation
The UHI effect is caused by heat-absorbing dark surfaces (pavement, roofs) and reduced evapotranspiration from vegetation, creating measurably higher urban temperatures.
LARE LARE Prep Section 5
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) when a proposed action: