Preserving Wisconsin’s Natural Beauty
Our Mission
Citizens for a Scenic Wisconsin is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the visual character of Wisconsin for current and future generations.
Who We Are
Country road in Three Lakes
We’re a community of passionate individuals, homeowners, and business owners united by a shared commitment to protecting Wisconsin’s scenic heritage. We believe that preserving natural beauty is essential for:
- Individual and community well-being
- Economic prosperity
- Healthy ecosystems
- Quality of life for all Wisconsinites
What We Do
CSW President Gary Goyke presents a scenic award to the secretary of the Wisconsin Dept. of Tourism, Anne Sayers, in 2019 Scenic Conference
Our organization works to support and promote initiatives that:
- Protect natural landscapes and preserve Wisconsin’s scenic roadways
- Preserve historic and cultural landmarks, including traditional barns and heritage sites
- Conserve trees and green spaces throughout our communities
- Improve community appearance through thoughtful planning and design
- Address billboard proliferation that threatens our scenic beauty
Join Our Cause
Whether you’re concerned about overdevelopment, want to protect local landmarks, or simply believe Wisconsin’s natural beauty should be preserved, we invite you to join our mission. Together, we can ensure that Wisconsin remains a place where scenic beauty and community character thrive.
Ready to make a difference? Join now or Contact us today to learn how you can help preserve Wisconsin’s visual heritage.
Our Impact in Action
Billboard Regulation
Downtown Milwaukee as viewed from the high rise bridge
We actively monitor Wisconsin’s state legislature, testifying at hearings to oppose bills that would weaken billboard placement regulations along our highways. Our advocacy extends beyond state lines—we joined as a friend of the court in the landmark Supreme Court case Reagan v. City of Austin (2023) to help preserve communities’ rights to regulate billboards nationwide.
CSW board member Vernie Smith makes his case at a hearing in the Capitol with reference to a model of a non-conforming billboard in 2019
When opportunities arise, we help draft and introduce legislation aimed at reducing highway billboard proliferation. We also work directly with local residents and city officials to address problematic billboard issues in their communities.
Billboards line up along I-43 near Sheboygan
Military Road near Eagle River is a Rustic Road
Scenic Byways Protection
As consultants to state boards, we help maintain the scenic beauty standards that make Wisconsin’s Scenic Byways special destinations for residents and visitors alike.
This handsome classic Wisconsin barn is one of the best we have left
Historic Barn Preservation
We champion legislation that makes it more affordable to preserve Wisconsin’s iconic barns by relaxing building codes for social event rentals, supporting both historic preservation and agricultural tourism.
Naturally growing trees and shrubs improve the ambiance north of downtown Milwaukee
Tree Conservation
Through our affiliation with Scenic America, we actively oppose the clear-cutting of trees on federal highway right-of-way—a practice sometimes done solely to improve billboard visibility.
The beautiful monarch butterfly is a welcome summer visitor and pollinator
Wildlife Conservation
In 2024, we campaigned for legislation to designate the monarch as Wisconsin’s official state butterfly, helping raise awareness about endangered butterfly species. We plan to continue this important conservation effort as opportunities arise.
Scenic News in Brief
Charlie Mitchell, Editor
Assembly Committee on the Environment Moves Monarch Butterfly Bill Forward
Read the press release here.
City Rejects Massive Billboard for Downtown Tower
https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2025/06/04/city-rejects-massive-billboard-for-downtown-tower/
Lawmakers advocate for the monarch to become official Wisconsin state butterfly
Bills announced at news conference at Butterfly Gardens By Charlie Mitchell Gary Goyke, president of Citizens for a Scenic Wisconsin, opened the conference and said that 14 state representatives and 5 senators have signed on as co-authors of two bills crafted to make...
Purchased land came with unsightly billboards
By Charlie Mitchell How do you take down billboards with a perpetual lease? The owner of the popular pizza restaurant in Neenah called Cranky Pat’s bought a small piece of land adjoining his property so he could expand his parking lot to accommodate his growing...
Year End Report December 2024
Includes: Anti-scenic Billboard Bills Died in State Legislature Butterfly Protection Bill Stalls in State Senate Click HERE to view the 2024 Year end report.
Monarch butterfly bill dies in senate committee
Bill would have designated the monarch as state butterfly By Charlie Mitchell 3 April 2024 The bill that would have designated the monarch butterfly as the official Wisconsin state butterfly died in the Senate Committee on Government Operations, left off the agenda...
Are you a member?
If you would like to become a member and have not registered yet, please do so on our membership registration page in order to get all of the latest news, alerts and to help save our beautiful state of Wisconsin!