Make Our Highways Safe and More Scenic

Billboards threaten health, safety and scenic beauty along Georgia highways. The billboard industry has continually sought expanded privileges to destroy trees near billboards along nearly 160,000 acres of highway rights of way in Georgia, making the state less scenic, increasing air pollution and threatening water quality. Beneficial trees belonging to Georgians are removed without regard to the public interest or adequate compensation under existing laws and regulations. Further, highways are made more dangerous by digital billboards that increase driver distraction.

At stake is the future of the state’s highway system. The General Assembly should resolve to make highways safer and more scenic by ensuring responsible management of rights of way.

Specifically, the legislature should continue to refuse any expanded tree-cutting privileges along our roadways and pass legislation to establish Conservation Areas and further define Scenic Areas where billboards will be prohibited and the number of trees increased.