E-M:/ FW: Coalition to Promote Michigan Tourism and Business

["Rick Barber" <rick@scenicmichigan.org>]

Coalition to Promote Michigan Tourism and Business

Scenic America and Scenic Michigan invite 
you to join the "Coalition to Promote Michigan Tourism and Business."  This 
Coalition has been formed to support legislation sponsored by Senator Thomas 
George (R-Kalamazoo), which is designed to protect Michigan's scenic beauty, 
boost its second largest industry, tourism, and make advertising more affordable 
for businesses.  More specifically, this legislation 
would:

• Require that the MDOT issue no new billboard permits and only one renewal for outstanding permits.
• Expand the current Logo Sign program(blue signs at expressway interchanges that currently advertise food, gas, lodging, and camping options) to allow for a fifth logo sign for tourist attractions (e.g., farmers markets and recreational, cultural, and religious sites).
• Raise the fees for existing billboard permits.
• Establish a Billboard Advisory Councilmade up of representatives from MDOT, business, tourism, environmental and other organizations to determine best practices.

This is important legislation that is urgently 
needed.  According to MDOT, Michigan has 16,096 active permits 
and that 1,216 permits have been issued since 2000.  Michigan has 13,838 
existing billboards along our expressways, and major 
highways.

This is important legislation that the public supports.  According to a recent survey (EPIC-MRA, October, 2003) 61 percent of those surveyed would support legislation to ban any new billboards on Michigan highways and expressways, and 76 percent supported expanding the logo sign program to add a fifth logo.

In addition, the bi-partisan Michigan Land Use Council recommended that MDOT develop a billboard management program containing similar elements to those in Senator George's legislation.  Although the legislation is urgently needed, and the citizens of our state and the Michigan Land Use Leadership Council support better management of billboards in Michigan, this legislation will face great opposition by the deep-pockets of the billboard industry.  That is why we need your support!

Please register your support by completing the online form at:  http://www.scenicmichigan.org/campaignsignon.html . 

Also, please forward this to any organization or individual who cares about the preservation of Michigan's scenic beauty and what this means to our tourist economy.  In addition, please contact your legislators and speak to them directly about the urgency and broad support of Senator George's legislation.

Thank you.

Rick Barber
Scenic 
Michigan
www.scenicmichigan.org 
info@scenicmichigan.org