Our oldest son and his wife have recently made the move from the west coast to Cary, North Carolina. My wife and I made the trip from the Pacific Northwest for our first visit to see how they have settled in. Being the ever present billboard nerd, I was also curious to spend some time looking at billboards and trees.  I love my wife, who is very tolerant, but also thinks I am a little nutty.

Why trees? First reason is there are a lot of them, especially along the highways and interstates. I have traveled all of the U.S. and my home state of Washington is noted for trees, but the density of trees along major roads in North Carolina is something to see.  As we all know, trees in the right of way can cause visibility problems for billboards as well as all signage.  Along North Carolina roads you are dealing with many types of trees, including Red Buds which are frequently planted along the right of way and grow quickly in the warm, humid NC climate.

Second, is what you can cut and the restrictions to cutting.  If you are a billboard operator, you have a maximum distance of 380 feet from your structure.  This compares to the Department of Transportation which has an 800 foot cap and a on-premise sign for a local business which could have up to 1,000 feet.

Third is the ability and cost of cutting a tree.  If you want to cut an existing tree in the right of way, you must make an application to NCDOT. They will measure the tree, review their rules for approval and then charge the operator $125/caliper inch for the right to cut the tree down.  That cost is prohibitive in itself, so operators only apply to remove an existing tree when it is absolutely necessary.

But the tree continues to grow, so it was not unusual along I42 to see an image like this shown below. Keep in mind that the right of way needs to be maintained by the state and trees in the right of way make that process more difficult and costly.

Understanding the need to find more flexibility, the North Carolina Outdoor Advertising Association began working to update the regulations.  In 2023 and 2024, through significant discussions and compromise with NCDOT and the House and Senate Transportation committees, the North Carolina legislature passed House Bill 198, the NCDOT agency bill.  The latest vote in the House was 65 to 38 and in the Senate 30 to 14, both in favor.

Tomorrow we talk with TJ Bugbee, Executive Director of the NCOAA to discuss the process and the current status of the legislation.

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