Environmental groups upset over tree-cutting near billboards
ASHEVILLE (AP) — Conservation groups in North Carolina are unhappy with a new law that will allow increased tree-cutting around roadside billboards.
The Asheville Citizen-Times reported today that conservation groups are considering going to court to stop the law, which takes effect March 1.
The new rules allow companies to cut trees within 380 feet around billboards on state roads in rural areas, an increase from the current zone of 250 feet.
The state Department of Transportation estimates that could mean as many as 200,000 trees, or some 2,000 acres, will be cut down.
Transylvania Rep. Chuck McGrady says he worries the results will be large swathes of clear-cutting in western North Carolina.
But Craig Justus, an attorney who represents the billboard industry, says the law is less drastic than opponents claim.
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