Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Protect Public Trees Act of 2018”.
Protect Public Trees Act of 2018
A BILL
To protect publicly owned trees from unnecessary destruction, maiming, or alteration, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Prohibition
Section 131 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(u) Protection of publicly owned plants
“(1) In general—Except as provided in paragraph (2), an individual or entity (including a governmental entity) directly or indirectly may not modify, remove, or pile materials about any tree, plant, or other vegetation that is partially or fully on a public right-of-way adjacent to a highway of the Interstate System or the primary system if a purpose of such modification, removal, or piling of materials is to erect, maintain, repair, or improve the visibility (including the future visibility) of privately owned commercial outdoor advertising.
“(2) Exception—Paragraph (1) does not apply if a purpose of the modification, removal, or piling of materials described in paragraph (1) is to improve or maintain safety.”