January 15, 2007

• President Pat Caughey, FASLA, President-elect Perry Howard, FASLA, and EVP Nancy Somerville met with the other Presidents’ Council members (CLARB, CELA, LAF, LAAB) to discuss Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board standards and continuing education issues.

• Federal Government AffairsManager Scott Kovarovicsjoined other organizationsfor discussions abouthow the Clean Water Act mightbe amended to more effectivelysupport development and green infrastructure, particularly inthe area of stormwatermanagement. Other participants included AIA, NaturalResources Defense Council, and American Rivers. Congress may considerlegislation this year that addresses only very specific elements of this landmark law.

• 2006 was another good year for membership, ending with 6 percent growth, most of which was in the Full and Associate categories. ASLA has now crossed the 17,000 mark!!!

• ASLA professional members and chapters are encouraged to nominate deserving candidates for the ASLA Honors: the ASLA Medal; the ASLA Design Medal; the Jot D. Carpenter Teaching Medal; the LaGasse Medals (Landscape Architect and Non-Landscape Architect); the Landscape Architecture Medal of Excellence; the Olmsted Medal; the Landscape Architecture Firm Award; and the Community Service Award. The deadline for submitting nomination packages is March 2, 2007. Instructions are available online. If you have questions, please contact Honors and Awards Coordinator Carolyn Mitchell at 202-216-2331 or cmitchell@asla.org.

• Seventy-two professional entries and 21 student entries have been received for the 2007 Awards Program. The deadline for professional award entry forms is Friday, February 9 and submissions are due by Friday, February 23.

• Cash contributions and pledges for the green roof are up to $199,064. The total for cash, grants, and donations is now at $304,064 or 87 percent of goal.

• Garden Center magazine is covering ASLA’s receipt of an NEA grant.

• Landscape Managementmagazine is covering the ASLA green roof in an upcoming issue.

• ASLA’s new officers will be covered in an upcoming issue of Home Improvement magazine.

• Sandy Clinton, FASLA, Rob Tilson, FASLA, and Richard Arentz, ASLA, were interviewed by the Washington Times for an article on incorporating sculpture in residential landscape design.

• Dean Hill, ASLA, was interviewed for a story in Vegetarian Times on eco-landscaping.

• The National Landscape Architecture Month web pages have been updated and resources are being added weekly. Feel free to look over the resources and make use of them for your LA Month activities. What ever you do, be sure to let us know so we can pass the word.

• Newsletters for the Healthcare and Therapeutic Design PPNand the Reclamation and Restoration PPN are now in production.

• The Professional Practice Committee Business Support Subcommittee continue work on the draft of the standard form contract document with consultant Cheryl Terio, Affiliate ASLA.

• The 2007 ASLA Annual Meeting & EXPO Call for Proposals has been extended to Tuesday, January 16, 2007, 11:59 pm eastern.

• Packets for Fellows Nominations are due Friday, February 16, 2007.