[Durham INC] ->Billboard industry wants to clear-cut thousands of public trees -- pls send quick comment to DOT (deadline is Dec 23)

[John Schelp]

The Durham community played a key role is stopping the billboard 
industry from sticking more big bright flashing billboards along our 
state's roadways. A victory for common sense!

Now, industry wants to clear-cut thousands of 
public trees -- just so drivers can see their 
billboards longer.

Kindly take two minutes to submit a short/positive comment on DOT site (by the end of Friday). Here are some comment ideas from the NC Sierra Club...

>The so-called “billboard bill” is an outrageous giveaway of public assets to the billboard industry. 

DOT has proposed temporary rules to implement SB 183, which could result
 in up to 1/4 million of the public’s trees to be destroyed in the next 
five years.

Please take a moment and offer your comments to the North Carolina Department of Transportation by December 23!

If
 you are not quite sure what to say, here's a little guidance. You can 
copy/paste the text below or just use it to give you some ideas!

As a taxpayer and citizen, I call on DOT to adopt rules that, within the limits of the new law,

* protect taxpayers. The final rules should fully compensate the public for loss of trees.
 And, permit fees should fully cover administration costs. 

* 
ensure local control: make certain that local governments have the 
opportunity to provide meaningful review and comment to reduce adverse 
visual impacts on communities 

* protect existing taxpayer 
investments: ensure that North Carolina taxpayers’ multi-million dollar 
investment in highway beautification be honored with strong replanting 
requirements 

* enforce the laws: ensure enforcement of laws already on the books and preserve DOT’s ability to punish violators.

I
 trust that the DOT will act to use all power afforded to them under the
 law to protect the taxpayers’ investment in our state’s scenic 
highways. 

Click here to send your comments to the Department of Transportation today... [takes two minutes; thank you.]

https://apps.dot.state.nc.us/ContactUS/PostComment.aspx?Unit=Rules

And hurry! The public comment period ends on December 23! 
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