Dear Friend of Scenic Colorado:

The mission of Scenic Colorado is to preserve and enhance the visual, environmental and aesthetic character of the communities and countryside of Colorado. We are grateful for your past support and continuing interest. Here is a short review on events over the last year.

Website. We are pleased to report that Scenic Colorado has a website. Please check us out at www.sceniccolorado.org. It includes some of our studies and presentations on issues and progress in Colorado. You can even contribute on-line. Also, it links to other scenic organizations around the country. Send us a note with your suggestions on the website and any other topic you think should be of interest to Scenic Colorado.

Statewide Progress on Reducing Billboard Proliferation. Billboards continue to decline statewide. The Colorado Department of Transportation reports about 2,300 billboards along state and federal highways as of December 2005. This continues the encouraging decline of about 100 billboards a year that are permitted through CDOT. The department is to be congratulated for its effectiveness in billboard removals as highways expand and routes change.

Local Progress in Billboard Control. In Colorado Springs five billboards have been removed at Red Rock Canyon Open Space. The property was acquired last year with the cooperation of the City of Colorado Springs, the Trust for Public Lands, Great Outdoors Colorado, and the Red Rock Canyon Open Space Foundation. In April 2005 the Larimer County Commissioners decided to retain the twenty-year old prohibition on off-premise signs, as part of an overall review of sign ordinances. In Pagosa Springs the final five billboards were removed in 2005, in compliance with a plan to remove nine off-premise signs starting in 1993. So Pagosa Springs is billboard free, a worthy objective for other jurisdictions.

Adopt A Highway Volunteers. In 2004 Scenic Colorado adopted mile 299 along US 24 next to the Red Rock Canyon Open Space in El Paso County. In 2005, our volunteers removed an average of 20 bags of trash every three or four months. We are proud of our volunteer efforts, but not of our fellow citizens’ penchant to pollute the highways.

A Disturbing Adopt a Highway Commercial Program. We are not proud of the Colorado Department of Transportation’s program to install commercial advertising along busy state and federal highways. Companies pay to have their logos on signs that are four and a half feet wide and three and a half feet tall. The signs are permitted every mile and on both sides of the highway. The revenue is earmarked to contractors who are supposed to keep the highways clean. Some of the highway segments with commercial advertising are competing with, or displacing, volunteer efforts. Scenic Colorado objected when it was announced in 2003 and still objects to the program. As a protest you may decide not to support those businesses that advertise on the commercial signs.

Electronic Variable Message Boards. Another disturbing trend against highway beautification is the imposition of variable message boards that protrude over the medians and roadways. About 25 feet tall and 15 feet wide, the boards flash electronic messages, presumably in the interest of highway safety and efficiency. Many drivers find the messages are not timely or helpful, and even lame. Since the funds for these electronic signs come from federal sources, it is hard for cities and counties to turn them down. Nevertheless, Scenic Colorado has urged officials to minimize the number and select locations that avoid disrupting scenic views. One unfortunate location of one of the electronic message boards is next to Red Rock Canyon Open Space, and it was installed only weeks after the billboards on that property were removed. Go figure.

Denver RTD. The Regional Transportation District of Denver has been considering the leasing of its land for billboards. It is another attempt of a public agency to keep taxes and fares as low as possible, at the expense of the visual environment. Scenic Colorado alerted other interested groups, including garden clubs, and communicated with the RTD Board of Directors. RTD has resisted the temptation to put advertising on light rail trains and should be congratulated. Scenic Colorado hopes RTD continues to resist temptation by not allowing billboards on RTD property. Scenic Colorado will monitor the transit agency deliberations on this subject.

Airport Open Space Advocates. Scenic Colorado has been working with the Airport Open Space Advocates for several years. The objective was to preserve as much open space as possible along the southern border of the Colorado Springs Municipal Airport. At risk is a rare expanse of big blue stem tall grass prairie and inspiring views of mountains along the Front Range, including Pikes Peak next to Colorado Springs and south to the Spanish Peaks west of Trinidad. Through numerous meetings with airport officials, city officials, and their consultants, a plan has been worked out and adopted in late 2005. About 400 contiguous acres will be preserved as open space with a conservation plan to protect and restore flora and fauna. The other 400 acres should be developed in an environmentally sensitive manner.

Membership. We would be remiss to omit fundraising. Scenic Colorado operates on a modest budget and with no paid staff. There have been expenses for website development, mailings, office supplies, meetings, and professional services. So please consider a contribution to help restore our depleted treasury and give us the wherewithal to continue serving your interests for a Scenic Colorado. A separate form is enclosed for your convenience. Thank you.

Members of the Board of Directors

Larry Barrett, Miles Davies, John Walker