Scenic Michigan

04/23/2026

Did you know that in addition to Earth Day that today is also Scenic Michigan Day?

On April 22, 2003 was declared Scenic Michigan Day by the Michigan Senate. Senator Tom George, Kalamazoo, also sponsored legislation that was signed into law in December 2006, banning any new billboard permits in Michigan.

In the past 23 years we have helped countless communities fight for their scenic resources, presented at public meetings across the state, published two Sign Regulation Guidebooks, and have ambitious plans to continue advocating for our communities.

If everyone who views this post donates even $1 on this Scenic Michigan Day we will be able to continue our work for the foreseeable future. So donate or buy your membership today!

To become a member (or purchase a gift membership), please select one of the following membership rates below. To donate a different amount, please select the “Donate” button. All donations above $35 will be automatically recorded as memberships as well.

04/22/2026

We are at the Michigan Townships Association Expo this week in Traverse City!

Stop by our booth and learn some more about Scenic Michigan and our mission!

04/11/2026

Our website has recent sign ordinances from over 50 municipalities across Michigan as a resource for municipalities control sign placement.

No one wants to be distracted by signs as they drive through our beautiful communities!

https://scenicmichigan.org/resources-2/michigan-sign-ordinances/

Sign, Sign… Everywhere a Sign? Not in the Right-of-Way!

We love seeing the community share events, sales, and announcements — but a quick reminder from the City of Ludington: signs are not permitted in the public right-of-way.

The City of Ludington Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), Article 9 – Signage, states that signs are prohibited from being located in or overhanging public rights-of-way or public easements, unless specifically allowed by ordinance or placed by the City for public purposes. Signs placed in the right-of-way may be removed by the City with or without notice.

👉 What does “right-of-way” mean?
It generally includes the area between the street and private property lines — often where sidewalks, utility poles, and street signs are located.

Why this matters:
• Signs can block visibility for drivers and pedestrians
• They can interfere with utilities and maintenance
• They create safety hazards during mowing, snow removal, and public works operations

Best practice:
Place signs on private property with the owner’s permission and outside of the street right-of-way.

Thank you for helping keep Ludington safe, tidy, and easy to navigate for everyone! If you have questions about sign placement, please contact the City’s Code Enforcement Office.

04/11/2026

Sign, Sign… Everywhere a Sign? Not in the Right-of-Way!

We love seeing the community share events, sales, and announcements — but a quick reminder from the City of Ludington: signs are not permitted in the public right-of-way.

The City of Ludington Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), Article 9 – Signage, states that signs are prohibited from being located in or overhanging public rights-of-way or public easements, unless specifically allowed by ordinance or placed by the City for public purposes. Signs placed in the right-of-way may be removed by the City with or without notice.

👉 What does “right-of-way” mean?
It generally includes the area between the street and private property lines — often where sidewalks, utility poles, and street signs are located.

Why this matters:
• Signs can block visibility for drivers and pedestrians
• They can interfere with utilities and maintenance
• They create safety hazards during mowing, snow removal, and public works operations

Best practice:
Place signs on private property with the owner’s permission and outside of the street right-of-way.

Thank you for helping keep Ludington safe, tidy, and easy to navigate for everyone! If you have questions about sign placement, please contact the City’s Code Enforcement Office.

04/01/2026

Two weeks ago Senate Bill 834 of 2026 was introduced to amend the Highway Advertising Act to increase right-of-way access to sites for billboard companies. Amendments to the Highway Advertising Act are particularly sensitive to us as it is a core part of Scenic Michigan's mission to combat billboard blight.

Scenic Michigan has voiced our opposition to this bill to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It is our review of the bill that this proposal would access sites along the right-of-way that would otherwise be considered inaccessible or undevelopable for billboards. It would cause unnecessary interference with vehicular traffic and endanger travelers, as well as construction and maintenance personnel. The inaccessible areas often are the most picturesque. And the impact of such would increase the potential for greater billboard proliferation along our beautiful roadways, thereby diminishing Michigan’s scenic beauty.

Please reach out to us at [email protected] if you are interested in learning more about this bill and the impact it may have on Michigan's highways.

The Michigan Legislature Website is a free service of the Legislative Service Bureau in cooperation with the Michigan Legislative Council, the Michigan House of Representatives, the Michigan Senate, and the Library of Michigan. This site is intended to provide accurate and timely legislative informa...

03/17/2026

Are you interested in serving on Scenic Michigan's Board of Directors? We are currently looking for members to help us with our lofty goals for fundraising, marketing, and communications to help us continually provide a high level of services throughout Michigan and grow our membership.

E-mail our Executive Director at [email protected] to learn more!

03/07/2026

"Milky Way season," is underway!

From now through October our galaxy will be visible to the naked eye on clear nights throughout Michigan. Due to our latitude and natural light protection from our abundant coastline we are uniquely situated to see the night sky. Remember when you see a particularly beautiful starry night, or even an aurora, we will be having our Photo Contest again this year!

"Milky Way season" is here, and dark sky areas in Michigan offer prime visibility of our galaxy.

02/18/2026

In a recent win for Scenic beauty the recently enacted Consolidated Appropriations Act (2026) included a total of $10 million in dedicated funding for the National Scenic Byways Program!

This funding will be available throughout 2029 and will provide support for designating Scenic Byways in all 50 states!

For Michigan, this funding can go a long way in helping our local communities in preserving their Scenic Roadways. Currently, we have three federally designated Scenic Byways: Copper Country Trail (US-41), River Road Scenic Byway, and Woodward Avenue (M-1).

If your community wants to explore designating a road as a Scenic Byway or Pure Michigan Byway (the State designation) please give us a call today!

Funding remains available through September 2029.

01/16/2026

The deadline is approaching to submit at the end of the day today! Be sure to get your photos in!

Scenic Michigan is excited to announce our highly anticipated Photo Contest for 2025! Our 2024 contests received over 800 amazing entries of the best views that Michigan has to offer, spanning from the center of Detroit all the way up to Copper Harbor, and we are ready to showcase even more! This ye...

01/13/2026

This is the last week to submit your photos for our 2025 Photo Contest! This year, for the first time, we have required donations for entry. However, for our last five days we are inviting everyone to "pay what you can" to submit your photos.

As a non-profit, we rely 100% on donations to operate and assist communities throughout Michigan. However, we want to create an opportunity for this contest to be fair for all to enter and share their work.

Our submission window ends this Friday, the 16th, at midnight. We hope you submit and can't wait to see your photos!

Scenic Michigan is excited to announce our highly anticipated Photo Contest for 2025! Our 2024 contests received over 800 amazing entries of the best views that Michigan has to offer, spanning from the center of Detroit all the way up to Copper Harbor, and we are ready to showcase even more! This ye...