Located just west of Missoula, MT on agricultural land deliberately zoned commercial years ago. Scenic America found that The Highway Beautification Act does not adequately protect rural and scenic areas from billboards-- few nonconforming billboards are removed, and virtually all conforming billboards remain from year to year. Photo provided courtesy of Scenic America.

A recent report by Scenic America found The Highway Beautification Act (HBA) does not adequately protect rural and scenic areas from billboards. The law-- which was originally designed to safeguard natural and scenic beauty, screen junkyards and provide for landscaping along federal-aid highways--allows new billboards in rural areas. The Highway Beautification Act: A Broken Law, is the first comprehensive examination of the HBA in ten years.

Among the worst offenders, Florida has more billboards than any other state (20,711). In an attempt to remedy the problem, Florida Legislature enacted a statute which gives the Department of Transportation (FDOT) added powers to protect native vegetation on state highways. As a result, the new administrative law, currently being written, contains two guidelines-- vegetation, which deals with vegetation management, and signage, which sets the standards for the size and placement of signs. FDOT Landscape Architect, Jeff Caster, ASLA, maintains the intent of the legislation is to improve the appearance of Florida highways and improve vegetation. "It's reaching the sad point where people are starting to notice billboards as a blight on landscape," remarks Caster. He adds, "Even the most scenic stretches are starting to have billboards set up on them."