TIME
With a blast at “creeping ugliness,” Interior Secretary Walter J. Hickel this week banned all roadside commercial billboards from 470 million acres of public timber and grazing lands under his jurisdiction. About 5,000 signs, mainly in the Western states and Alaska, will come down as the owners’ current permits expire. Another 800,000 billboards—expressly forbidden by the Highway Beautification Act of 1965—seem to be immune. Although the Senate has passed legislation to compensate billboard owners for removing these signs, further action has been held up in the House Public Works Committee.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- How Donald Trump Won
- The Best Inventions of 2024
- Why Sleep Is the Key to Living Longer
- Robert Zemeckis Just Wants to Move You
- How to Break 8 Toxic Communication Habits
- Nicola Coughlan Bet on Herself—And Won
- Why Vinegar Is So Good for You
- Meet TIME's Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
Contact us at letters@time.com