KRC Asks Senators to Oppose Amendment Allowing Public Trees To Be Cut For Billboard Visibility

KRC Asks Senators to Oppose Amendment Allowing Public Trees To Be Cut For Billboard Visibility  Posted: March 29, 2008
March 28, 2008

Dear Senator:

I'm writing to ask that you oppose the Senate floor amendment to HB 192. The amendment would attach most of House Bill 582 – this year’s version of the bill authorizing cutting down of public right-of-way trees to assure billboard visibility. SFA 1 to HB 192:

* fails to distinguish permitted from nonconforming billboards (the latter category are supposed to be removed);

* does not allow cities to control whether trees should or should not be cut on rights-of-way of highways located in their boundaries;

* would allow the cutting down of trees and bushes that were planted as part of a highway beautification effort, in addition to volunteer trees that have grown;

* allows destruction of public property to assure the billboard industry something that by law they have no right to - the distraction of the motoring public for commercial purposes.

Thank you for your consideration of these concerns.

Cordially,

Tom FitzGerald