Trustee Report

Happy New Year! Welcome to the 2nd piece of this report series, ‘Your ASLA Membership’, telling you just a few notes from our national organization over the last month. ASLA ends the 2013 year with an increase of 1.34% over last year with 15,203 members. Do remind people who may have lapsed in their membership to rejoin and that payment options are available. Please feel free to contact me at Trustee@FLASLA.org if you have any questions or concerns about ASLA issues.

Governance and Administration

The 2014 slate for ASLA President Elect candidates has been finalized and approved as follows:

President-Elect
Chad D. Danos, FASLA
Shawn T. Kelly, FASLA

Government Affairs

The U.S. EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management is offering $400,000 in technical assistance for communities interested in implementing green infrastructure to protect water quality and build more sustainable communities. This technical assistance will serve both to advance the adoption of green infrastructure programs in selected communities and to develop knowledge and tools that can be transferred to other communities and to a national audience. The value of the EPA assistance available in 2014 is approximately $400,000, and EPA anticipates providing assistance to seven communities. Interested communities are encouraged to respond to the agency’s Request for Letters of Interest. If additional funding becomes available, EPA may return to the applicant pool identified through this request to select additional recipient communities.

EPA’s Green Infrastructure Program announced the launch of its 2014 Webcast Series, which began January 7 and will continue bi-monthly throughout the year. This series is generally geared towards public officials and practitioners just beginning to implement green infrastructure, as well as those looking to enhance established programs. Leading academics and professionals from around the country will cover a range of topics and applications, from best practices in operations and maintenance to the intersection of green infrastructure and climate change.

Professional Practice

A new, much-anticipated LATIS report was published in December. The Planting Soils for Landscape Architectural Projects (LATIS), written by Barrett L. Kays, FASLA, includes instructional content with practical examples of how to apply modern soil science techniques to improve soils for landscape plants and the environment. Passing a short self-test exam will allow members and non-members to earn 3.0 PDH through LA CES.

Public Relations and Communications

The Dirt: A new post on DIY Vertical Gardening was named as a top pin of the year by Pinterest. It has received more than 10,000 page views. Planetizen featured a post from the ASLA annual meeting on public benches. DCist and Greater Greater Washington featured a post on the redesign of L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C. ArchNewsNow and APA’s web site featured a post on ASLA President Mark Focht’s talk on green infrastructure. Nature Sacred featured the new Dirt post on Boston’s urban wilds.