A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO INCREASE selective vegetation removal permit fees and to clarify standards for selective vegetation removal.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 136‑18.7 reads as rewritten:
"§ 136‑18.7.  Fees.
The fee for a selective vegetation removal permit issued pursuant to Article 11 of this Chapter for an outdoor advertising location is (i) six hundred dollars ($600.00) for the initial three‑year period listed in G.S. 136‑133.4 and (ii) two hundred dollars ($200.00) for any subsequent three‑year renewal period."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 136‑93.2 reads as rewritten:
"§ 136‑93.2.  Monetary value of trees.
The monetary value for existing trees removed and eligible for reimbursement to the Department as provided in G.S. 136‑93 or G.S. 136‑133.1 from State rights‑of‑way shall be forty‑five dollars ($45.00) per caliper inch."
SECTION 3.  G.S. 136‑128 reads as rewritten:
"§ 136‑128.  Definitions.
As used in this Article:
(1)	Cross read face. – The left read advertising face for an off‑premises outdoor advertising sign that is intended for viewing and located on the opposite side of the highway to the flow of traffic on the main travel way.
(2)	Direct read face. – The right read advertising face for an off‑premises outdoor advertising sign that is intended for viewing and located on the same side of the highway to the flow of traffic on the main travel way.
(3)	Erect. – To construct, build, raise, assemble, place, affix, attach, create, paint, draw, or in any other way bring into being or establish.
(4)	Illegal sign. – One which was erected and/or maintained in violation of State law.
(5)	Information center. – An area or site established and maintained at safety rest areas for the purpose of informing the public of places of interest within the State and providing such other information as the Department of Transportation may consider desirable.
(6)	Interstate system. – That portion of the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways located within the State, as officially designated, or as may hereafter be so designated, by the Department of Transportation, or other appropriate authorities and are also so designated by interstate numbers. As to highways under construction so designated as interstate highways pursuant to the above procedures, the highway shall be a part of the interstate system for the purposes of this Article on the date the location of the highway has been approved finally by the appropriate federal authorities.
(7)	Nonconforming sign. – A sign which was lawfully erected but which does not comply with the provisions of State law or State rules and regulations passed at a later date or which later fails to comply with State law or State rules or regulations due to changed conditions. Illegally erected or maintained signs are not nonconforming signs.
(8)	Outdoor advertising. – Any outdoor sign, display, light, device, figure, painting, drawing, message, plaque, poster, billboard, or any other thing which is designed, intended or used to advertise or inform, any part of the advertising or information contents of which is visible from any place on the main‑traveled way of the interstate or primary system, whether the same be permanent or portable installation.
(9)	Primary systems. – The federal‑aid primary system in existence on June 1, 1991, and any highway which is not on that system but which is on the National Highway System. As to highways under construction so designated as primary highways pursuant to the above procedures, the highway shall be a part of the primary system for purposes of this Article on the date the location of the highway has been approved finally by the appropriate federal or State authorities.
(10)	Safety rest area. – An area or site established and maintained within or adjacent to the highway right‑of‑way by or under public supervision or control, for the convenience of the traveling public.
(11)	State law. – A State constitutional provision or statute, or a rule or regulation enacted or adopted by a State agency pursuant to the State Constitution or a statute.
(12)	Unzoned area. – An area where there is no zoning in effect.
(13)	Urban area. – An area within the boundaries or limits of any incorporated municipality having a population of five thousand or more as determined by the latest available federal census.
(14)	Viewing edge of the sign. – For a multifaced outdoor advertising sign that has either back‑to‑back sign faces or v‑typed sign faces, it is the center point between the front edges of each sign face. For a single‑faced sign or a multifaced sign that has side‑to‑side sign faces, it is the back edge away from the viewing zone of the sign face closest to the right‑of‑way.
(15)	Visible. – Capable of being seen (whether or not legible) without visual aid by a person of normal visual acuity."
SECTION 4.  G.S. 136‑133.1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 136‑133.1.  Outdoor advertising vegetation cutting or removal.
(a)	The owner of an outdoor advertising sign permitted under G.S. 136‑129(4) or G.S. 136‑129(5) who obtains a selective vegetation removal permit, and the owner's designees, may cut, thin, prune, or remove vegetation in accordance with this section, G.S. 136‑93(b), 136‑133.2, and 136‑133.4. The maximum cut or removal zone for vegetation for each sign face shall be determined as follows:
(1)	The point located on the edge of the right‑of‑way that is the closest point to the viewing edge of the sign shall be point A.
(2)	The point on the edge of the pavement of the main traveled way that is closest to the viewing edge of the sign shall be point B.
(3)	The point 500 feet down the edge of the pavement of the main travel way in the direction of the sign viewing zone from point B shall be point C.
(4)	The farthest point of the sign face located from the edge of the right‑of‑way shall be point D.
(5)	The point on the edge of the right‑of‑way that connects point C and point D shall be point E.

(5a)	The point on a center median located directly opposite point C in relation to a cross read face viewing zone and immediately adjacent to the travel way of the highway on the opposite side from the outdoor advertising sign shall be point F.
(5b)	The point on a center median located directly opposite point B in relation to a cross read face viewing zone and immediately adjacent to the travel way of the highway on the opposite side from the outdoor advertising sign shall be point G.
(6)	Lines drawn from point A to point B and from point E to point C shall define the limits of the vegetation cut or removal area for a direct read face. Lines drawn from point A to point B to point G and from point E to point C to point F shall define the limits of the vegetation cut or removal area for a cross read face.
(a1)	Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, in order to promote the outdoor advertiser's right to be clearly viewed as set forth in G.S. 136‑127, (i) the owner of an outdoor advertising sign who is a selective vegetation removal permittee shall be permitted to cut or remove vegetation on private property within the zones marked by points A to D to E with the written permission of the landowner and (ii) the Department of Transportation, at the request of a selective vegetation removal permittee, may approve plans for the cutting, thinning, pruning, or removal of vegetation outside of the cut or removal zone defined in subsection (a) of this section along or within gores, medians, or other areas of the primary highway system so long as the view to the outdoor advertising sign will be improved and the safety of the traveling public is protected.
(b)	Vegetation permitted to be cut, thinned, pruned, or removed shall be defined as any tree, shrub, or underbrush within the zone created by points A, B, D, and E. Any existing tree that was in existence at the time that an outdoor advertising structure was erected shall only be eligible for removal in accordance with subsections (c), (d), and (e) of this section. To the extent possible, native dogwoods and native redbuds shall be preserved. A selective vegetation removal permittee may relocate, and replace if necessary, any native dogwoods or native redbuds existing within the cut or removal zone established in subsection (a) of this section to a location within 2,500 feet on either side of the outdoor advertising structure, as measured along the edge of the pavement of the main travel way of the nearest controlled route. If a native dogwood or native redbud cannot be preserved during relocation, a selective vegetation removal permittee shall replace the native dogwood or native redbud with native dogwoods or native redbuds of the same cumulative caliper inches. For the purposes of this section, an existing tree is defined as a tree that had a diameter of four inches or greater as measured six inches from the ground at the time that the outdoor advertising structure was erected. An outdoor advertising sign is considered erected when the sign is completely constructed with a sign face.
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SECTION 5.  G.S. 136‑133.2 reads as rewritten:
"§ 136‑133.2.  Issuance or denial of a selective vegetation removal permit.
(a)	Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section and G.S. 136‑133.1(g), permits to remove vegetation may be granted for outdoor advertising locations that have been permitted for at least two years prior to the date of application. The Department shall approve or deny an application submitted pursuant to this section, including the fee required by G.S. 136‑18.7 and all required documentation, within 30 days of the receipt of an application for a selective vegetation removal permit. If written notice of approval or denial is not given to the applicant within the 30‑day period, then the application shall be deemed approved. If the application is denied, the Department shall advise the applicant, in writing, by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the party to be noticed, and delivering to the addressee, the reasons for the denial.
(b)	Notwithstanding the two‑year period required in subsection (a) of this section, permits to remove vegetation may be granted for outdoor advertising locations (i) where outdoor advertising has been relocated as allowed by law and (ii) that otherwise comply with the requirements of this section and rules adopted by the Department in accordance with this section."
SECTION 6.  G.S. 136‑133.4 reads as rewritten:
"§ 136‑133.4.  Selective vegetation removal permits.
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(b)	Permits are valid for a period of three years. The permittee may cut, thin, prune, or remove vegetation more than one time per year. A 48‑hour notification shall be provided to the Department by the permittee before entering the right‑of‑way.
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(d)	Any damage to vegetation designated to remain at the site, to highway fences, signs, paved areas, or other facilities shall be repaired or replaced by the permittee to the condition prior to the occurrence of the damage caused by the permittee or the permittee's agent. Except for authorized chips or when the Department and the permittee or the permittee's agent agree in writing to the contrary, all cut vegetation shall be removed from the right‑of‑way and disposed of in areas provided by the permittee within 72 hours after commencement of the event that necessitated cutting the vegetation. No burning or burying of cut vegetation shall be permitted on the highway right‑of‑way. When chipping is used to dispose of cut vegetation, chips may be neatly spread on a right‑of‑way at locations which the Department determines will not be harmful to the environment or affect traffic safety.
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SECTION 7.  Notwithstanding any provision of Article 2A of Chapter 150B of the General Statutes, no later than six months after the effective date of this act, the Department of Transportation shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of this act. The Department of Transportation shall use the following procedure to adopt rules to implement the provisions of this act:
(1)	At least 15 business days prior to adopting a rule, submit the rule and a notice of public hearing to the Codifier of Rules. The Codifier of Rules shall publish the proposed rule and the notice of public hearing on the Internet within five business days.
(2)	At least 15 business days prior to adopting a rule, notify persons on the mailing list maintained pursuant to G.S. 150B‑21.2(d) and any other interested parties of the Department of Transportation's intent to adopt a rule and of the public hearing.
(3)	Accept written comments on the proposed rule for at least 15 business days prior to adoption of the rule.
(4)	Hold at least one public hearing on the proposed rule no less than five days after the rule and notice have been published.
A rule adopted in accordance with this section becomes effective on the first day of the month following the month the Department of Transportation adopts the rule and submits the rule to the Codifier of Rules for entry into the North Carolina Administrative Code. Any rule adopted more than six months after the effective date of this act shall comply with the requirement of Article 2A of Chapter 150B of the General Statutes.
SECTION 8.  Any rule or policy adopted by the Department of Transportation that does not comply with the provisions of this act shall be null, void, and without effect.
SECTION 9.  If any provision of this act or its application is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this act that can be given effect without the invalid provisions or applications, and to this end, the provisions of this act are severable.
SECTION 10.  Section 1 of this act and G.S. 136‑133.4(b), as amended by Section 6 of this act, are effective when this act becomes law and apply to applications for permits received on or after that date. Section 2 of this act is effective when this act becomes law and applies to trees removed on or after that date. The remainder of this act is effective when this act becomes law.