S-4475.1  _______________________________________________

                    SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8027

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1996 Regular Session

By Senators Wojahn, Winsley, Rasmussen, Heavey, Fraser, Owen and Goings

Read first time 01/19/96.  Referred to Committee on Ecology & Parks.

Objecting to the proliferation of billboard signs on Indian trust lands in the state of Washington.

    TO THE HONORABLE WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE HONORABLE BRUCE BABBITT, SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR, AND TO THE HONORABLE FEDERICO PEÑA, SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION:

    We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

    WHEREAS, Within the last several months numerous billboards have been constructed in areas that, if not held in trust by the United States Department of Interior for the benefit of Indian Tribes and members of those Tribes, would violate the Federal Highway Beautification Act and the Washington State Scenic Vistas Act; and

    WHEREAS, The billboards obstruct scenic vistas and otherwise distract from the State of Washington's beauty; and

    WHEREAS, The obstructions negatively impact tourism that is important to the economies of Tribes and the State of Washington at large; and

    WHEREAS, The billboards are not in scale with any surrounding structures and may diminish safety on the Interstate and Scenic and Recreational Highway Systems; and

    WHEREAS, The proliferation of billboards on Indian Trust Lands in the State of Washington should end immediately;

    NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the Bureau of Indian Affairs deny applications for new trust lands where the applicant's intended use would violate the Federal Highway Beautification Act or the Washington State Scenic Vistas Act if the land were not held in trust for the benefit of the Tribe or a tribal member; and

    YOUR MEMORIALISTS FURTHER PRAY, That the Congress amend the Federal Highway Beautification Act to explicitly give authority for its enforcement on Indian lands.

    BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable William J. Clinton, President of the United States, the Honorable Bruce Babbitt, Secretary of the Interior, the Honorable Federico Peña, Secretary of Transportation, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.

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