Scenic Jacksonville

Current Issues

State Coverup of Illegal Tree Cutting - Response Needed

The Jacksonville Times-Union newspapers has written an article about the Florida DOT withholding emails and denying meetings about special treatment for a billboard company in the Panhandle of Florida AND that are now available to read and comment on. 

"State withheld emails, denied meetings related to handover of trees to billboard company", The Florida Times-Union - June 5, 2011

Please read the article and respond with a comment at the bottom of the article (you will need to register to leave a comment, but you don’t have to publicize your name). This is REALY IMPORTANT as there are comments from “billboarders.” One of these comments reads in part: “The state makes these folks jump through these many hoops just to clear stinking brush?” Photos from FDOT include stumps of oak trees three feet in diameter.

A second article in the Jacksonville Timer-Union deals with Senator Evers who was previously Chair of the House Transportation Committee and was the one that started the push to get FDOT to ignore the current law. Now as a member of the State Senate he tried this last session to get the law changed to not require payment for public trees cut down for billboard view zones.

"State senator's bill would have loosened Florida's restrictions on billboard companies", The Florida Times-Union - June 5, 2011

Please share this with your friends who feel Florida’s trees belong to the people of Florida and should not be given away for billboard profit.

"We have to believe that place by place, mile by mile, we can preserve Scenic America and even reclaim ugly America." - Charles Kuralt

Charles Kuralt addressed Scenic America and a transcript of his inspiring speech can be found at this link:  "The Goodliest Land".

Why is there a dead tree stump in this City planter along Hogan Street?

Shouldn't it contain a tree?  To report dead and/or missing trees on City property in your area, contact 630-CITY, or click here.