Scenic America honored its founding members during its recent Affiliates conference in Salisbury, NC.  The three “Founders Awards” were given to Ruth Becker, Charles Floyd and the family of Marion Fuller Brown. Left to Right: Charles Floyd, Ruth Becker and Martha Fuller Clark. (Click to enlarge) Charles Floyd told the story of Scenic America’s beginnings:…

Scenic America has presented its Stafford Award to Mayor Linda Bobo and the citizens of Mount Laurel for their successful years-long effort to prohibit billboards in the township. The Award was presented at the Township Council meeting on April 22, 2013 by Scenic America President Mary Tracy and Board Member Carl E. Hintz.  The presentation…

A new article in Virginia Town & City Magazine says that communities looking to attract responsible, sustainable tourism should focus on their character and authenticity, and that the appearance of the gateways leading into those communities is just as important. Edward T. McMahon, senior resident fellow at the Urban Land Institute and former president of Scenic America, said:…

Scenic America recently presented its “Taking the Long View” award to two civil servants for their roles in helping to beautify a key gateway from the Pell Bridge into the city of Newport, Rhode Island. Scott Wheeler, the city’s Tree Warden, and Eric Offenberg, Director of Engineering at the Rhode Island Bridge and Turnpike Authority…

More than 100 supporters of scenic byways gathered at the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington on December 6 to honor the 25th anniversary of the passage of transportation legislation that created the National Scenic Byway Program. Scenic America co-hosted the reception with the National Scenic Byway Foundation and the Journey Through Hallowed Ground (JTHG) Scenic…

On April 20, 2016, more than 100 people joined Scenic Knoxville at the East Tennessee History Center for a celebration of eight years of successful advocacy and accomplishments in Knox County. Mary Tracy presents the Stafford Award to the Scenic Knoxville Board of Directors on April 20, 2016 Formed in 2008, Scenic Knoxville has worked…

The latest edition of the Rutgers Law Review includes a note by law student Susan C. Sharpe — “Between Beauty and Beer Signs” — that argues that digital billboards violate the spirit and letter of the Highway Beautification Act (HBA) of 1965. After passage of the HBA each state was required to enter into a…

A new report submitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations General Assembly finds that human cultural identity and expression are being threatened around the world by increasingly omnipresent advertising and marketing practices, and in particular a growing commercialization of the public realm. To learn more about the effects of outdoor advertising around the world…

Thanks to the effort of Scenic America members and the hard work of our affiliate Scenic Jacksonville, advertising signs that were defacing the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena have been removed. In response to public pressure the Jacksonville Office of General Counsel studied the law concerning this matter, and they concluded that the Arena signs were in…

Documents reveal that the Minnesota Department of Transportation agreed to spend over $4.3 million in public funds for the removal of a digital billboard as part of a bridge reconstruction project.  The billboard’s removal was necessitated by a project currently underway to replace the Lafayette Bridge, which carries state highway 52 over the Mississippi River…