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On February 26th, the Georgia Senate passed Senate Bill 164, a bill that gives billboard companies the ability to cut trees along Georgia rights of way. This bill is now before the House Interstate Highway & Beautification Subcommittee.

In its current form, Senate Bill 164 would allow billboard companies to:

- Apply for permits from the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) to remove all trees in a defined zone in front of billboards less than 75 feet in height. Billboards above 75 feet would be required to be lowered to 75 feet or less within 30 days after removing the trees.

- Pay the state a $4000 fee rather than DOT's appraised value of the trees and vegetation to be removed. However, Senate Bill 164 also allows the companies to deduct any costs associated with purchasing, installing and maintaining replacement landscaping meaning that it could result in little or no revenue to the state.

- Obtain permits to cut trees in front of billboards in 66 counties in Northwest Georgia, Northeast Georgia and East Central Georgia beginning July 1, 2009. Statewide permitting will be phased in by 2012.

Since your Representative is one of six subcommittee members that will be voting on this bill on Tuesday, March 24th, it is important that you call them today. Call your Representative by Tuesday at 2:00 pm and ask them to vote NO on Senate Bill 164 to protect trees along Georgia's highways. The state should not grant a "right to be seen" to billboards at the expense of our trees.

Click more info to see the names of all members of the House Interstate Highway & Beautification Subcommittee.

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