ASLA UTAH MAY NEWSLETTER

May 29, 2023 by ASLA Utah

ASLA UTAH MAY 2023 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

**CALL FOR NOMINATIONS - ASLA Utah Chapter Executive Committee Elections Due Friday, June 23rd 5:00pm**, **Email nominations to: Paul Stead, paul.stead@sgcity.org**

**BELGARD Lunch & Learn - Mirage Porcelain Tuesday, June 13th, 12:00pm - 1:00pm ASLA UT Offices 270 S 400 W SLC** **REGISTER HERE**

INMAN INTERWEST & HARCO Lunch & Learn - HDPE Presentation Tuesday, June 27th, 12:00pm - 1:00pm ASLA UT Offices 270 S 400 W SLC **REGISTER HERE**

UNLA Women in the Green Industry Lunch & Roundtable Event August 10th, 12:00pm – 1:00 pm Botanicals Design, 8610 State Street, Sandy **REGISTER HERE**

Leadership Express

Jake Powell, ASLA Utah President

I hope you were able to enjoy at least some portion of the 2023 Utah ASLA Conference held in May. It was an amazing event that Adam Castor, Jenny Sonntag, and the rest of the ASLA Utah Executive Committee really worked hard to make a reality. One of my favorite aspects of the conference was watching the attendees conversing, sharing insights, discussing pressing topics, and sharing their love for the profession. I was once again reminded of the amazing profession and people we have the honor of calling colleagues. I know you are all very busy, so thank you for coming, engaging, and adding to the collective value of the conference.

During the conference I had an opportunity to share some thoughts with the audience. I want to summarize the primary points and reiterate a call to action I am feeling more and more passionate about!

Recently Governor Cox called legislators to minimize the number of boards and commissions operating in our state. The landscape architecture board who provides recommendations to the Utah Department of Professional Licensing (DOPL) regarding licensure requirements, and grievances is one such board that will be considered this summer as part of a larger study of all boards seeking to find boards to eliminate. Although an elimination of the landscape licensing board does not eliminate licensure, we at the UTASLA feel that it is an erosion of the strength of the license here in Utah. We are working to advocate for an independent board or a possible combination with the board of an allied profession.

Advocacy requires your voice. Landscape architects tend to enjoy quietly doing good work, and hoping their work speaks for itself. It does not. All of us need to make some additional efforts to share not just your work, but the IMPACT of your work on your communities, families, and elected officials that will in the very near future be involved in deciding how the landscape license board is organized. Please take some time to contact elected officials to explain how your work matters to them. The political sphere may not be a comfortable space for many of us, but one we must begin operating in. We also need a loud, clear, and compelling voice. This means many of our colleagues that are not part of ASLA, but equally passionate about the profession of landscape architecture need to be engaged and share their voice with ours. Please take a minute to reach out to people you know in the profession and allied disciplines to help us communicate our impact.

We all have a lot of work to do in a very short amount of time. Please engage in strengthening the understanding of our profession wherever you are, whenever you have the chance. We have a lot to brag about, and this is the time to do it.

2023 ASLA Utah Annual Conference Recap

Adam Castor, ASLA Utah Past President

Hello again ASLA Utah!

It was great to see all of you at the 2023 Annual Conference on Landscape Architecture. Thank you to everyone that was able come out for two days of presentations and breakout sessions related to landscape architecture, sponsor vendor interaction, and of course the conference social on Thursday evening with the Rob Harrington Band. To all of you that were not able to attend, you were missed and hopefully we will see you at next year’s conference.

It is really hard to gauge the level of effort and dedication necessary to plan and organize a conference until it becomes your primary responsibility as a member of the executive committee. It is intense, but the reward comes from seeing everyone together in one place to talk about everything we love about landscape architecture and to catch up with colleagues and friends. And without the efforts and dedication of our executive director, Jenny Sonntag, the conference simply does not happen. So, a huge thanks to Jenny, to the conference planning committee, to all of the conference speakers and our generous Sponsors, and to all of our ASLA Utah membership in helping make our 2023 Annual Conference a success!

Here are a few notable highlights from the conference:

Climate Action Plan presentation by ASLA National President Emily O’Mahoney
Presentations and breakout sessions by several Utah landscape architects – Abram Nielson, Cory Shupe, Scott Peters, Mark Morris, Josh Sundloff, and Jay Bollwinkel
Registered conference attendees: 113
Vendor booths: 42 (up from 32 at the 2022 conference)
Conference social attendees: 30-35 +/-

The conference is often viewed as the past-president’s final obligation to the chapter….”whew, I did my part, now I’m out!” However, I see it as an opportunity to continue the dialogue amongst our community of landscape architects, as well as our community of allied professionals. I am inspired by the feedback that I have received from the landscape architects and non-landscape architect folks that participated in and/or attended the conference, and I believe that collectively we can do great things for our clients, the communities we serve as design professionals, and for the state of Utah. I don’t intend for this conference to be my last chapter obligation and I am looking forward to seeing where things go following the conversations we had during the conference. I genuinely hope that you all learned something new, met someone new, and enjoyed your time spent at the conference.

Sincerely, Adam Castor, ASLA Utah Past-President

ASLA UTAH AWARDS 2023

Tyler Smithson, VP of Membership and Membership Services

The ASLA Utah Awards is Utah's design competition recognizing Utah's best projects. Entries are juried by ASLA members from our fellow Wisconsin Chapter.

Important Dates:

Submissions Open Now!
Early Bird Deadline June 16th ($20 Discount per submittal)
Deadline for submissions June 30th
Winners will be notified in September
Awards Event in October
Winners will be featured on ASLA Utah's Website and TBD press outlets.

Guidelines: Entries must be submitted and received via the online entry system by June 30, 2023.

Awards is open to: Individuals, firms, or agencies performing work within the State of Utah at the time the project was executed.

Questions: Contact: Tyler Smithson, VP of Membership & Membership Services PHONE: 404.539.5217; EMAIL: tyleraslautah@gmail.com

Learn more about PIKUS

Special Thanks to ASLA Utah 2023 Sponsors & Corporate Partners for their Support!

Click here to become a 2023 ASLA Utah Sponsor!

Platinum Sponsors
BioGrass | Great Western Recreation l Pikus | Rain Bird | Victor Stanley

Corporate Partners
Denton House | Io LandArch | SGLA Technical Training

Learn More About Our Sponsors

ASLA UTAH APRIL NEWSLETTER

April 30, 2023 by ASLA Utah

ASLA UTAH APRIL 2023 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

**REGISTER NOW!**

**ASLA UT Annual Conference May 18th & 19th, West Valley City.** **REGISTER HERE**

**VICTOR STANLEY LACES VIRTUAL LEARNING** **May 30, 12:00PM MST** **REGISTER HERE**

BELBARD Lunch & Learn Featuring Mirage Porcelain Tuesday, June 13th 12:00pm ASLA UT Offices 270 S 400 W SLC **REGISTER HERE**

**UNLA Women in the Green Industry Lunch & Roundtable Even**t **August 10, noon – 1:00 pm Botanicals, Sandy. REGISTER HERE**

Leadership Express

Jake Powell, ASLA Utah President

Spring in Utah!

There isn’t much better than springtime in Utah, especially this year. After a long, cold, wet winter it is so nice to see life emerging from underneath the snow! I don’t suppose any of us can escape the irony of switching from concerns about drought to concerns about flooding all in the space of about 9 months.

I have been thinking a lot about our role as a profession as I have observed these wild swings in our local climate. Almost daily I encounter neighbors, students, and community leaders experiencing concern, anxiety, and sometimes outright despair about how the world we live in is straining under the ecological stresses we hear about on nearly every news channel. I am honored to be part of a profession that takes the responsibility, obligation, and opportunity our profession has to engage in proactively addressing the challenges our species are facing. Our discipline is uniquely tooled to engage the issues and enact positive change, we translate despair into action!

The ASLA’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) is one such call to action. I encourage you to get familiar with the CAP and the great resources provided online. The field guide provides a great framework to begin operationalizing the goals of the CAP in the projects you work on. We will be heeding the National ASLA’s call to organize state CAP committees to help develop and advocate for locally relevant CAP efforts. If you are interested in being involved in such a committee, please reach out and let me know.

This summer our chapter will be working to proactively engage with Utah’s elected leaders and staff to work to protect what we see as a continued effort to weaken Utah’s landscape architecture licensure. The Utah Legislature has commissioned an audit to be performed over the summer of all of Utah’s state boards and commissions. The landscape architecture licensing board will be one of the more than 400 state boards and commissions that will be reviewed. The stated purpose of this audit is to identify boards that should be eliminated.

The Utah landscape architect board is an advisory board to the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL). This volunteer, but appointed board is independent of ASLA and board members serve as content expert resources for DOPL regarding licensure requirements, grievances, and licensure policy changes. We feel that this important representation of our professional within DOPL is critical to the validity and strength of our licensure.

I am telling you this because your help will likely be needed over the summer and fall to engage in this review and add your voice conversation. We will likely be reaching out for data and high profile projects that demonstrate the impact and value (economic, social, and ecological) of landscape architects in Utah. We are going to stop just doing good work and stand up and show it off.

The Utah Chapter is working closely with ASLA national to be on the offensive regarding this review, but we will thrive or flounder depending on your support, engagement, and assistance. Please keep an eye out for future requests and don’t miss any opportunity to talk with your local and state elected representatives about the impact of your work. It is time to come out of the proverbial shade and into the light this summer!

World Landscape Architecture Month- ASLA Utah Celebrates Arbor Day

Aaron Johnson, VP of Visibility

Another successful WORLD LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE MONTH in the books! We tolok a “Road Trip Through Utah!” and highlighted the amazing scenery and unique communities within the great State of Utah. The first leg took us to the beautiful landscapes that have made Utah world renowned from the various National Parks in Southern Utah to the iconic Great Salt Lake. The second leg took us to the beautiful projects in Southern Utah and the successes of St George City. The third leg provided a glimpse of the amazing projects going on in the communities along the Wasatch Front. World Landscape Architecture Month culminated in the volunteer activities in northern and southern Utah, an amazing opportunity to get our hands dirty and help our communities.

HUGE thanks to the all of our members, sponsors and new partners that helped make this month possible. PROGRESSIVE PLANTS and TREE UTAH for putting on and sponsoring our northern Utah service activity! ST GEORGE CITY for sponsoring the southern Utah service activity! HUGE THANKS to the Utah ASLA Committee members and a special thank you to the VISIBILITY SUB COMMITTEE for all the time and effort to make our ROAD TRIP THROUGH UTAH a reality!

**ASLA Utah Conference**
**Bridging The Gap**

ASLA Utah Conference Schedule- May 18th-19th Utah Cultural Celebration Center, West Valley

Thursday, May 18, 2023

8:00am Check In — Lanyard Sponsor: Rain Bird

8:00am Breakfast & Vendor Expo — Breakfast Sponsor: Belgard

9:00am Conference Kick Off — Title Sponsor: BioGrass

9:15am Welcome & Introduction Adam Castor, RLA, ASLA, ASLA Utah Past President

9:30am Keynote Speaker 1 PDH Laura Hanson, State Planning Coordinator

10:30am Break Centerpiece Sponsor: LuckyDog

10:45am Landscape Architect Presentation 1 PDH Cory Shupe, Landscape Architect - blu’ line designs

11:45am Lunch Sponsor: GPH Irrigation

1:00pm ASLA Climate Action presentation — Speaker Sponsor: Victor Stanley

Presenter: Emily O’Mahoney, ASLA President

2:00pm Break — Sponsor: Calsense

2:15pm Panel Discussion - Josh Sundloff - Moderator

Scott Peters - Landscape Architect
Dave Abraham - Architect
Amanda Risano - Civil Engineer
Pat Putt - Planner

4:00pm President’s Address Jake Powell, ASLA Utah Chapter President

4:30pm Vendor Expo Raffle

6:00pm-8:00pm Conference Social Live Band, drinks, & socializing, at the UCCC

Friday, May 19, 2023

9:00am-10:00am Site Tour Landscape Lab at the Williams Building, University of Utah Presenters: Sarah Hinners, University of Utah; and Mark Morris, VODA

10:30am Breakout Session 1

Living Building Certification – Kenner Kingston
ADA Accessibility and Landscape Architecture - Jared Presser
Landscape Construction Update - Perry Bratt

11:30am Lunch On The Patio — Lunch Sponsor: Miller Companies

President-Elect Address Paul Stead, ASLA Utah Chapter President-Elect

12:30pm Breakout Session 2

Playground Surfaces and Fall Protection - Rhetta McIff
Ecology and Stormwater Management - Sarah Hinners
Landscape Architecture Forum - LA Board Members: Scott Peters, Josh Sundloff, Jay Bollwinkle

1:45pm Breakout Session 3

Utah Water Conditions Update - Candice Hasenyager & Stephanie Duer
Principal LA at Arch Firm - Abram Nielson

2:45pm Closing Address Adam Castor, ASLA Utah Past President

USU Student Chapter Highlight

Hi, my name is Zach Sannar, and I am the Vice President of Outreach Coordination for CAAS (College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) for the USU student chapter of ASLA. Being a part of the student ASLA presidency this year has been so rewarding and amazing to say the least.

For April, which is World Landscape Architecture Month, the USU student chapter held USU ASLA week, which had events every day of the week 4/3 - 4/7 to celebrate Landscape Architecture. Monday had goodie bags on desks packed by the USU student presidency, Tuesday was a grab and go breakfast for students, Wednesday was stump talks for election of the next year 2023-24 student presidency, they were successful with new students stepping in and a few students coming back next year. Thursday, we had a food drive with students donating canned food or shelf stable items, USU students donated 201 cans! And finally, Friday the USU chapter participated in a sketching/charrette event were students redesigned USU’s campus green spaces. In the upcoming school year, I am looking forward to continuing development between the student and state ASLA chapters, and helping students reach their potential as future Landscape Architects!

Special Thanks to ASLA Utah 2023 Sponsors & Corporate Partners for their Support!

Click here to become a 2023 ASLA Utah Sponsor!

Platinum Sponsors
BioGrass | Great Western Recreation l Pikus | Rain Bird | Victor Stanley

Corporate Partners
Denton House |Io LandArch | SGLA Technical Training

Learn More About Our Sponsors

ASLA UTAH MARCH NEWSLETTER

February 27, 2023 by ASLA Utah

ASLA UTAH MARCH 2023 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

**EARLY BIRD ends TODAY!**

**ASLA UT Annual Conference May 18th & 19th, West Valley City.** **REGISTER HERE**

**OPTConnect Landscape Designer Workshop Earn up to 4 CEU’s Thursday, April 20th 10:00am to 2:00pm Red Butte Gardens** **REGISTER HERE**

**GIRLS NIGHT OUT with RainBird **Only a few spots left!! Tuesday, April 25th, 5:00-7:00pm Cactus & Tropicals in Draper** **REGISTER HERE**

Leadership Express

Jake Powell, ASLA Utah President

World Landscape Architecture Month in April - ASLA UT Celebrates Arbor Day

ASLA Utah Chapter Annual Conference on Landscape Architecture & Expo

**Bridging The Gap**

**May 18th-19th, Utah Cultural Celebration Center, West Valley**

Hello ASLA Utah!

The 2023 ASLA UT Annual Conference on Landscape Architecture has been scheduled for May 18th and 19th, and will be held at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley City.

The theme for the conference this year is “Bridging The Gap”. This theme reflects the coming together of like-minded design professionals – landscape architects, architects, civil engineers, environmental specialists, landscape contractors – to begin dialogue about some of the issues that we collectively face as design professionals, about the design process and how we can make our design work more streamlined across disciplines and more comprehensive for contractors, about notable projects in Utah that involved all of the design disciplines and what made them successful, about licensure and professional regulation in our state, and about collectively addressing state-wide growth and natural resource issues through climate positive design.

The conference schedule and program is shaping up to be very similar in structure to the conference in September:

Special Thanks to ASLA Utah 2023 Sponsors & Corporate Partners for their Support!

Click here to become a 2023 ASLA Utah Sponsor!

Platinum Sponsors
BioGrass | Pikus | Rain Bird | Victor Stanley

Corporate Partners
GSBS | Io LandArch | MHTN | SGLA Technical Training

Learn More About Our Sponsors

ASLA UTAH JANUARY NEWSLETTER

January 31, 2023 by ASLA Utah

ASLA UTAH JANUARY 2022 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

**ASLA UT Annual Conference May 18 - 19th, South Salt Lake City.** **CLICK HERE TO REGISTER for Early Bird Discounts**

**Progressive Plants: New Varieties Seminar and Round Table Forum for Landscape Architects:** Available on two different days: March 9th, 10:00 am OR March 17th, 10:00 am **CLICK HERE TO REGISTER**

**LAEP VIRTUAL CAREER FAIR Thursday, February 23, 12:00-3:00 pm** We invite you to share key information and answer student questions about your company. **Reserve up to three, twenty-minute, blocks of time** **CLICK HERE**. After the fair, we’ll provide your contact information to students who would like to reach out and learn more. Questions?: Deandra.harps@usu.edu

Leadership Express

Jake Powell, ASLA Utah President

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

After the flurry of emails last week, I hope to be more comprehensive as well as transparent regarding the recent events and current status of Utah Senate Bill 0123. This bill seeks to eliminate several boards and commissions in an effort to satisfy the Governor’s request to minimize government and eliminate inefficiencies.

You have likely seen several updates and calls for help this past week. These emails were short, and often shared as events were transpiring in real time due to the quick movement of the bill. This update will hopefully provide a better context and explanation of the events of last week to help you gain a more complete picture of what efforts have been made on the bill. The ASLA Utah Executive Committee coordinated almost daily this past week with a team of representatives from ASLA National as well as CLARB to discuss, strategize, and then do everything possible to jump in and influence the legislation in this bill that we feel may have a detrimental effect on our profession here in Utah. ASLA National has been invaluable to help guide the UT ASLA team through effectively engaging in this process. This is not our expertise and we have benefitted from their insights and guidance.

BACKGROUND & CONTEXT:

The Utah Landscape Architecture Board, a board that exists under the direction of the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) was included on a list of boards and commissions to eliminate in the proposed Senate 0123 bill. The Landscape Architecture board is made up of subject matter experts (landscape architects) and its function is to hear grievance appeals and provide recommendations to DOPL regarding licensing rules and these grievance appeals. It is, and has always been ultimately up to DOPL whether to follow the provided recommendations.

ASLA is not associated with, nor has any authority with regards to the Landscape Architecture Board. The Landscape Architect Board is associated with DOPL, while the ASLA is a professional organization that supports and promotes the profession of landscape architecture. ASLA Utah is occasionally called upon to provide a recommendation for new member to replace board members who step off or complete their terms but that is the entirety of the connection between these entities. The separation between these two independent entities is important to recognize, and we believe, critical to maintain.

The root of this legislative effort is centered on “efficiency”, and does not seek to eliminate the licensure of landscape architects in Utah. However, ASLA Utah sees eliminating the Landscape Architecture Board as a weakening of our licensure for several reasons, here are the primary ones:

The existence of a board that was created by legislative action maintains not only a functional check and balance for licensed professionals, but also the structural separation and relationship with DOPL that provides independence necessary when called upon to do its work.
The existing board structure and function are similar to other states with licensed landscape architects. Eliminating the Utah Landscape Architect Board may be perceived as Utah now having a weakened license nationally.
The existence of a board made up of subject matter experts familiar with the nuances of our profession is important when grievances or rule suggestions are reviewed. This board structure and function keeps us on par with other allied disciplines within the state.
A board that is established, trained, empowered, and at the ready when an issue arises will be able to address said issue in a timelier, more efficient, and fair manner than assembling an ad-hoc panel on an as-needed basis.

The primary reason provided by DOPL representatives and Senator Wayne Harper, the bill sponsor for the Landscape Architect Board’s proposed elimination is because it has not held a meeting, nor met its function (addressing grievances and proposing rules) as explained above in over 5 years. The ASLA Utah’s response has consistently been to point out that the board does not meet only because it has no stated tasks/business to address. It is our opinion that this lack of tasks/business is because our profession is working extremely hard in Utah to operate in a manner that does not warrant grievances. It is our opinion that a board that is not burdened by grievance related tasks, and therefore not required to meet, is the indication of a profession doing something right.

HOW WE GOT HERE:

We have met with the bill’s sponsor and representatives from the Governor’s office of Community Outreach and Intergovernmental Relations to voice our concerns and advocate for changing this legislation. At the drop of a hat, many ASLA members took time out of their busy schedules to attended the Senate Business and Labor Committee meeting on January 26th , in person and online to testify regarding the impact of this legislation on our profession. In addition to ASLA’s direct efforts on this bill, many of you took time to call, email, or write your representatives to voice your concerns about this bill.

This has been a concerted effort to advocate for our profession. I believe that our efforts to demonstrate how this legislation impacts our profession are making a difference. During the Senate Business and Labor Committee meeting testimony was provided by several ASLA members both in person and online, with others hoping but not invited to speak due to a cutoff in time. Thank you for making time to engage that critical meeting, it was a turning point in the effort.

I believe those efforts demonstrated to the committee that the bill did not adequately consider the impact on our profession; the result was that the bill was tabled by the committee. Senator Harper was asked to work on the bill and bring it back to the committee. Thank you for joining together to create a united voice to advocate for our profession at a critical moment! It appears to me that your voices have been heard by many of those who needed to hear them and things seem like they are starting to change.

WHERE ARE THINGS NOW:

Since that committee meeting we have continued to demand to anyone that will listen that any language referring to the elimination of the Landscape Architecture Board should be removed from the bill. At this time the bill is still tabled and Senator Harper is working on revisions. We are continuing to watch this bill closely and we are engaging Senator Harper to find a solution that satisfies the intent of the bill while protecting the existence, structure, and function of the board.

Our hope is that the Landscape Architecture Board is removed from the bill in the next revision. If that becomes the case, it will likely mean a review over the summer of how the board might be structured in the future. If that language is indeed included in the legislation we believe it is a solution that retains the board, and creates the space and time to work with DOPL and the board to craft a solution that I hope will be mutually beneficial. I have insisted that ASLA be at the table regarding how the review happens, be able to make recommendations regarding any changes, and be partners in co-creating a solution that protects, and hopefully strengthens our position in the state.

Losing the Landscape Architecture board would be a terrible loss for our profession here in Utah, and one that has been frightfully eminent this past week. At this time, I cannot report that this issue is resolved permanently. Our immediate goal is to get the Landscape Architects Board removed from the current legislation. I think we are very close to accomplishing that goal. My commitment is to continue to work with the ASLA Utah Executive Committee and ASLA National to monitor and engage in the evolution of this bill in whatever way we can until the issue is resolved.

However, as frustrating as it is to say, I do sense this is only the start a longer, necessary effort to find ways to protect our profession against a growing statewide call for minimizing the role and structure of licensure in all disciplines. That effort is going to require you, me, and our peer professions having a united voice and engaging in a problem solving endeavor that will likely require all of us to stretch outside our current comfort zones. I am grateful we are part of the ASLA that provides structure, guidance, and expertise to that united voice. There is tremendous value in a united voice that advocates and protects the profession we love. That is why ASLA exists. THANK YOU for your continued support!

ASLA Utah Chapter at the UNLA Green Conference

Aaron Johnson, VP of Visibility & Marketing

This past month Utah ASLA had the opportunity to set up a booth at the annual UNLA Green Conference and participate in the vendor trade show activities. We have participated in the Green Conference for the past few years, and it is always an amazing experience to be surrounded by so many likeminded professionals! It was great to get to know and meet many local officials, nonprofit volunteers, and students. It was such a great opportunity to inform people about Utah ASLA, including all the great work this community of landscape architects does, and how to join/get involved.

Utah ASLA was especially proud of the opportunity to participate in the UNLA Student Connections Program, which provides high school and college age students an opportunity to interact with andmake contacts with industry leaders and professionals.

CONGRATULATIONS to Bethany Balling for winning our contribution to the UNLA Student Connections Scholarship. Bethany is studying Horticulture at Utah State University and Utah ASLA is grateful for the opportunity to support her in reaching her goals!

In addition, the conference was the maiden voyage of our new Utah ASLA outreach banners. The goal was to create a clean, simple, and modern design to provide information about our organization and bring awareness to the variety of projects landscape architects projects for the community. They can be seen at the Utah ASLA offices and any activity. A big thank you to Tess Menotti and Alaina Prasek (members of the Visibility Sub-Committee) for taking this project head on and creating some truly great banners that highlight our wonderful profession.

The L-Series

With lightweight looks and luxurious lines, this table and benches collection gives off a legendary sit-and-stay-awhile vibe.

The L-Series is named after its designer, Geoffrey Lilge, who beautifully articulates what’s so special about this linger-worthy table and bench collection: “I sought to deliver a visually lightweight form by creating the main structure with only one piece of formed laser cut steel – a minimal structure reduced to its necessary elements.”

This collection may look lightweight, but it’s built for longevity with a mild steel frame that has a recycle content up to 61% and is fully recyclable at end of life. The table and benches feature counter sunk bolts and anchors to create a secure flush mount and the steel lasered and formed ends are e-coated and powdercoated for protection. Steel rectangular tube slats are available for the table tops and seating surfaces—which can be painted any color to match or contrast the frame—as well as Ipe and Thermally Modified Ash wood.

The L-Series table and bench combination can also be configured for accessibility, which invites everyone to linger together outdoors. The minimalist style and clean lines of Maglin’s L-Series effortlessly blend into any urban location, including school campuses, retail and commercial settings, as well as in hospitality and mixed-use.

Sponsor Thank You Dinner and Winter Social

Jennifer Sonntag, Executive Director ASLA UT Chapter

Despite busy schedules and it being a work and/or school night for most of us, approximately chapter and committee members, sponsors, students, and faculty were able to get together this month for the 2023 ASLA Utah Winter Social.

The evening started with socializing, and mingling, followed by yummy catered paninis and crepes. During the dinner hour, current ASLA UT Chapter President Jake Powell gave a warm welcome to the group, acknowledged our generous Sponsors, Corporate Partners and Executive Committee members, and spoke about the happiness of 2022 and the potential future challenges with LA licensure in the State of Utah.

The evening was a fun kick-off to 2023 and an exciting new year of ASLA Utah Chapter activities and socializing opportunities.

Special Thanks to ASLA Utah 2023 Sponsors & Corporate Partners for their Support!

Click here to become a 2023 ASLA Utah Sponsor!

Platinum Sponsors
BioGrass | Rain Bird | Victor Stanley

Learn More About Our Sponsors

ASLA UTAH DECEMBER NEWSLETTER

December 29, 2022 by ASLA Utah

ASLA UTAH DECEMBER 2022 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

**ASLA Utah Winter Social & Sponsor Thank You Dinner Tuesday, January 24th, 6:30pm-9:00pm** ASLA UT Offices 280 S 400 W Suite 150 **RSVP HERE**

**SAVE THE DATE: ASLA UT Annual Conference May 18 - 19th, South Salt Lake City. More details coming soon!**

**UNLA GREEN CONFERENCE & EXPO. January 23-25, Mountain America Expo Center** **REGISTER HERE**
**Women in the Green Industry Luncheon Tuesday, January 24th, 12:00 - 1:00pm** Room 400, Mountain America Expo Center **REGISTER HERE**

Leadership Express

Jake Powell, ASLA Utah President

On behalf of the entire UT ASLA Executive Committee, I want to wish you Happy Holidays! I find the moment between the Christmas and the New Year’s holiday a special time to reflect on the previous year and look forward to the year to come as an individual as well as professionally.

Looking Back: 2022 was an exciting year for the Utah Chapter of the ASLA. I feel like this year we finally shook off the fog of COVID and life began to feel a bit more like it was pre-COVID. As an organization, ASLA was finally able to confidently plan and host the in-person events that knit us together as one large family of professionals. As convenient as it may be to tune into an event via zoom, nothing beats seeing each other in person and enjoying each other’s undivided attention.

I really enjoyed seeing all of you at the various events held during 2022. This year we hosted multiple networking events, a robust lunch and learn series where some of our wonderful vendor’s provided educational opportunities, service projects, one of the most informative annual conferences I have ever been to, and an amazing awards dinner. This year was also a busy one for all the people working behind the scenes to make these kinds of events happen. I hope you will take a minute to thank the people who give of their personal time to invest in the Utah ASLA, and by association, they invest in you.

Looking Forward: I believe 2023 is going to build on the momentum gained in 2022. We are planning several exciting events and focusing this spring on updating the organization’s strategic plan. This document sets the vision and associated goals and benchmarks for our organization and ultimately outlines how the Utah ASLA serves you and the profession of landscape architecture in Utah. Please keep an eye out for opportunities to share your thoughts on our proposed direction. We invite you to let us know what you see as important, and how our proposed short term, and long-term goals might affect you, your company, and our collective work here in Utah.

New Year’s is customarily a time of reflection and a moment for change. One of my resolutions this year is to reach out to see how ASLA can better serve you, and conversely how you can serve your local chapter of ASLA. I want to know who is missing from the UT ASLA family and invite those who we may not have seen for a while to more fully participate, and access the benefits of being a member of the UT ASLA. I hope you will share your thoughts with me so we can continue to improve how ASLA supports and builds the profession here in Utah. 2023 is looking bright, let’s make it so through our efforts this year!

Foro Collection

Maglin Site Furniture’s Foro Collection of tables and chairs presents a clean, contemporary style developed to stand alone or combine with other Maglin furnishings within interior or exterior spaces.

The Foro Collection of go-anywhere tables and chairs can be customized in a variety of ways to bring people together on campuses, commercial properties, rooftop terraces, or just about any place imaginable. Configuring your Foro tables and chairs is easy with a selection of surface patterns, and materials, as well as classic or bright powdercoat colors. Maglin offers the bestselling Foro chair in both standard seat height, 17 11/16” (44.9 cm), and bar height, 30” (76.2 cm). Standard height Foro chairs are also available with added armrests and are stackable up to four chairs high. All seating in the Foro Collection features the structural durability of a steel tube frame, solid cast aluminum back, and laser-formed steel seat in distinctive line or circle patterns.

Foro tables are available in bar height and standard height, with square or round tabletops in 30” or 36” tabletop sizes. Tabletop material options include lasercut steel plate or High Density Polyethylene, both with decorative patterns of circles or lines and a steel tube outer ring and post. Maglin Foro tables offer incredible installation versatility, whether you’re looking for freestanding and movable, or fixed and secure direct burial and surface mount options. All Foro tables can be specified with holes for shade umbrellas; foot rings are available to provide additional comfort on bar height tables.

Published in early 2022, Environmental Product Declarations are now available for the Foro Collection - as well as all Maglin benches, bike racks, tables and seating, waste and recycle, and modular collections. Developing EPDs to improve transparency is part of Maglin’s commitment to continually assess the climate footprint of all aspects of their products and manufacturing processes.

KUDOS TO ASLA UTAH SPONSORS

Jennifer Sonntag, Executive Director ASLA UT Chapter

Just like cookies and milk - ASLA Utah and its Sponsors and Partners are “better together”. I joined ASLA Utah as the Executive Director in 2018 and much has changed since then in our world and in our
Chapter but the one thing that has been a constant is the incredible support of our Sponsors and Partners.

As a non-profit organization, the Utah Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects relies on the support received from our Sponsors. The partnerships made through sponsorships allows us to provide continuing education, social events, and on going support to our members; as well as, advocate for the landscape architecture profession.

We want to thank the Sponsors and Partners for sticking with ASLA Utah through the good times and bad. Your contributions are truly appreciated as we continue building a win/win partnership with you in 2023!

Special Thanks to ASLA Utah 2022 Sponsors & Corporate Partners for their Support!

Click here to become a 2023 ASLA Utah Sponsor!

Platinum Sponsors
BioGrass | Rain Bird | Victor Stanley

Learn More About Our Sponsors

ASLA UTAH NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER

November 30, 2022 by Tyler Smithson

ASLA UTAH NOVEMBER 2022 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

**LAEP Speaker Series:** Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, 3:30pm **Daniella Hirschfeld,** Uncharted Waters: Creating Climate Capacity AGGIE CAST LINK: CLICK HERE

**ASLA Utah Sponsor Thank You Dinner Friday, January 27th, 6:30pm-9:00pm** ASLA UT Offices 280 S 400 W Suite 150 RSVP HERE

Leadership Express

Jake Powell, ASLA Utah President

Happy Holidays Utah ASLA!

I hope you had a bit of time over the Thanksgiving Holiday to enjoy some time off with your loved ones. Speaking of thanks, I want to publicly thank the Utah ASLA Executive Committee members whose terms have recently ended, and are stepping away from the Executive Committee. I want to thank Seth Bockholt who is completing his term as the Past President, Boyd Reschke who has served as the Secretary, and JoEllen Grandy, who has been serving as the Vice President for Membership and Member Services. These individuals have given so much time out of their busy schedules to serve you and the profession of Landscape Architecture here in the state of Utah. When you interact with them moving forward, please extend your thanks for their service. They have done an amazing job and we will miss their insight and wisdom on the Executive Committee. I want to also thank Adam Castor, who is now transitioning from the President to the Past President position. He has been an amazing mentor and worked tirelessly this past year to improve the status of the ASLA here in Utah. I am so grateful for his leadership and patience teaching me the ropes.

I am so honored to make the transition from the President Elect to the President. It is an exciting time to be a member of the ASLA. As a new president I was invited to attend a series of Chapter Presidents meetings preceding the 2022 National ASLA Conference in San Francisco in November. It was inspiring to meet with chapter presidents from across the nation and I realized just how much exciting work is being done in chapters across the nation. I was also reminded how great it is to be part of THE professional organization working to situate our profession front and center in the work to create better, more sustainable, and equitable spaces in our nation.

It is easy to get stuck in the day-to-day work of our profession and forget what an amazing linage our profession comes from, the relevance of our work, and the potential positive impact each hour of your time can make on people and places. The National Conference reinvigorated my love for this profession and opened my eyes to the efforts the National ASLA is making to support and inspire the profession of Landscape Architecture.

In addition to several days of ASLA leadership specific trainings I had the opportunity to attend the ASLA conference. Although attending the educational sessions and the expo hall was inspiring and informational, my favorite part of the event was the opportunity to connect with former classmates and colleagues I had not seen in years. I was struck by the sense of community the profession of Landscape Architecture can create. ASLA provides an important space for that community building – I don’t know if it happens anywhere else!

One of my favorite experiences was watching some of the 20+ USU LAEP students interact with alumni from across the nation attending the conference. Seeing them joining that larger community, and getting immersed in the legacy of the profession of Landscape Architecture at such an epic event was inspiring. If that wasn’t enough, the formidable USU LAEP team of David, Mary Ann Andersen and Keith Christensen brought party supplies and an amazing cake to celebrate Fredrick Law Olmsted’s 200th birthday. Our little table became quite the magnet and definitely put Utah front and center in that enormous Expo Hall.

I hope you find your involvement with ASLA inspiring and meaningful. I believe it should be. We are engaged in an amazing profession that is doing important work that people care.

Take Care! Jake

LAEP Student Win Spirit Award at the National Conference!

Lilian Taft, President ASLA Student Chapter

This November, a group of over 20 Utah State University LAEP students ranging from juniors to third-year graduate students had the opportunity to attend the National ASLA Conference in San Francisco. There were a multitude of opportunities to make connections and get a glimpse into the industry we will soon be a part of.

The varied and high-quality presentations were extremely valuable in seeing what is happening in the Landscape Architecture profession outside of Utah. In one type of session, we were able to get an inside look into specific firms. These were helpful for students preparing to graduate in the spring, allowing them to get a detailed presentation describing what the office cultures are like, what type of work is happening, and to see how projects get approached, worked on, and accomplished.

Utah State University students also had the opportunity to visit CMG Landscape Architecture in San Francisco, meeting with one of the principals of the firm and getting a tour of the studio and current work. The principal was very generous to show about 20 students around his office and answer all of our questions. This was such a great opportunity! We asked all types of questions, from how to transition into the workplace and what technology is being used in the professional world, to specific questions on types of materials and how to specify furnishings.

Icing on the cake! (literally)

USU’s first place victory in the LABash Block Party was celebrated with a giant sheet cake honoring Frederick Law Olmsted’s bicentennial birthday, which donned a handsome portrait of the famed landscape architect. But we like to believe it was due to our fabulous school spirit, celebrating the amazing LAEP community that we have at USU!

Overall, this trip to San Francisco for the National ASLA Conference was an absolute blast for the students. It offered invaluable opportunities to meet professionals and students from all over the country, forming lasting relationships we may get to revisit as we transition into our professional careers.

2022 ASLA Utah Award Winners

Tyler Smithson, VP Membership

Congratulations to the firms who submitted awards this year and to everyone who attended the event! Click on each project name or photo to see more project photos, renderings & descriptions

General Design Category- Award of Excellence & Honor Award

loci - Lake Avenue South Park

Urban Design Category - HONOR AWARD

Bio West - Three Creeks Confluence

Urban Design Category - MERIT AWARD

Bio West - Red Butte Gardens - Six Bridges Trail

Analysis & Planning Category - MERIT AWARD

Denton House - Other Side Village

Analysis & Planning Category - MERIT AWARD

loci - The Yard at Mark Steel

Analysis & Planning Category - HONOR AWARD

MGB+A - Tech Ridge Development Zone Plan

Urban Design Category - MERIT AWARD

G.Brown Design - Unlimited Play Center at North Park

Special Thanks to ASLA Utah 2022 Sponsors & Corporate Partners for their Support!

Platinum Sponsors
BioGrass | Rain Bird | Victor Stanley

Learn More About Our Sponsors

Become a 2023 ASLA Utah Sponsor!

ASLA UTAH OCTOBER 2022 NEWSLETTER

October 31, 2022 by ASLA Utah

ASLA UTAH OCTOBER 2022 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

LuckyDog Recreation - Lunch & Learn November 3rd, 11:30am ASLA UT Offices 280 S 400 W REGISTER HERE

LAEP Speaker Series: Friday, Nov. 4 2022, 3:30pm Brad Howe, SCAPE Adapting to Change ZOOM LINK: CLICK HERE

LAEP Speaker Series: Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, 3:30pm Daniella Hirschfeld, Uncharted Waters: Creating Climate Capacity AGGIE CAST LINK: CLICK HERE

ASLA National Conference on Landscape Architecture November 11-14, 2022, San Francisco, CA REGISTER HERE

Victor Stanley On-Demand LA CES™ Education Sessions:
SEE CLASS SCHEDULE & REGISTER HERE

ASLA Presidents Message

Adam Castor, ASLA Utah President

Greetings ASLA Utah. I hope everyone is having a wonderful fall season. It always seems to go way too fast but it is nice to see the mountains layered in snow. Another thing that seems to have gone by too fast is my term as chapter president. In a few weeks we will transition in new committee members and Jake Powell will take the wheel as chapter president. My role will become that of past-president and I will be focusing most of my chapter efforts on planning next year’s annual conference. I am excited about this next phase of the presidency and about working with the new committees on what lies ahead for our chapter. If you weren’t able to hear Jake’s lunch-time introduction speech at this year’s conference, trust me when I say that he will do a great job as president and the chapter is headed in a good direction.

In a couple of weeks I will be traveling to San Francisco along with Bryce Ward ASLA UT Trustee, Jake Powell ASLA Pres. Elect, and Jenny Sonntag, Ex. Dir., for the ASLA National Chapter Presidents Committee and Board of Trustees meetings. These meetings bring chapter presidents, trustees, and executive directors together with executive committee members of ASLA to discuss everything from strategic planning, advocacy, and licensure to finances, website updates, and membership services. The common thread weaved into pretty much all of the presentations and discussions is how can ASLA and its chapters serve our membership better. ASLA presents and provides a ton of information over a day and a half of meetings, but the conversations with other chapter leaders on where they have had success, what they have struggled with, ideas on retaining existing members and growing new membership, opportunities to advocate for landscape architecture as a licensed profession…these conversations provide so many opportunities to learn about other chapters and I am looking forward to coming back with more ideas on how ASLA Utah can better serve its membership.

The past couple of months have been busy, the September and October calendars both packed full of fun events. The executive and subcommittee members have all made huge contributions to a very successful in-person Annual Conference, a Park(ing) Day event inspired by elementary school kids’ artwork, our virtual Advocacy Day with elected officials and representatives, and a site tour of the new Millcreek Commons project. Not to forget our Annual Awards Event last weekend celebrating of this year’s award winners, complete with good food and drinks, music, and plenty of socializing. Thank you all so much for making it all happen!

In the past few newsletters, I have highlighted several opportunities to become involved in the chapter, either as a subcommittee chair or member, or as part of a committee that we are developing. We are still looking for volunteers for our chapter strategic planning committee as well as our chapter climate action committee. I expect that we will be hearing more information on creating these committees during the CPC and BOT meetings in November, but if you have any interest in joining please reach out to me or Bryce Ward.

In closing, I would like to give a special thank you to Lucky Dog Recreation and the Berliner crew for the amazing opportunity to travel to Berlin, Germany for a tour of Berliner’s manufacturing facility and several city parks boasting their play equipment. I met up with Rhetta McIff, Jon Ruedas, Mike Wonenberg, and Mark McGrath before joining about thirty other landscape architects and sales reps from across the country for two days of education on all things Berliner, a city tour and afternoon trip to Karl’s strawberry-themed amusement park, and lots of time for socializing.

One of the highlights for me was the sketch presentation given by Karl Kohler, founder of Berliner. With a very thick German accent and while sketching on an iPad, Karl explained and illustrated the scientific calculations and ratios behind the design and shapes of Berliner’s play structures and rope components. It was a fascinating presentation that made the evolution of basic shapes and ropes into unique and complex play structures very clear to visualize and understand. I am also pretty sure that the local kids and their parents were wondering what the hell was going on when, at each of the parks we visited, fifty or so adults came flowing out of a huge tour bus and started taking photos, climbing all over the play equipment, and lining up for trips down the slides. It’s no wonder why each park we visited was so populated with kids and adults at play. In addition to the educational experience and physical interaction with Berliner’s play equipment, I was able to spend four additional days exploring Berlin and its vast expanse of historical buildings, sites and monuments, landmarks, remnants of the Berlin wall, and city parks. It truly is an amazing city and culture to experience. Thank you Lucky Dog and Berliner!

An Update and An Opinion: House Bill 282 - Water Wise Landscaping Amendment

Thomas Eddington, VP of Advocacy

HB282 was passed by the Utah State Legislature and signed by the Governor on March 23, 2022. The bill is generally written to promote water-wise landscaping and attempts to define the many components of this landscaping methodology that many of us utilize on a regular basis.

The bill goes on to describe the new limitations of regulatory authority for cities/counties and HOAs throughout the state specifically noting the following for HOAs: An association may not enact or enforce a governing document that prohibits, or has the effect of prohibiting, a lot owner of a detached dwelling from incorporating water wise landscaping on the property owner's property. This provision seems to imply that property owners have the right to remove water consumptive lawn/turf and replace it with native vegetation. This is a welcome opportunity for property owners and landscape architects alike; however, some of the allowances for water wise landscaping and/or materials include "mulch" which HB282 defines as “material such as rock, bark, wood chips, or other materials left loose and applied to the soil.” While the bill goeson to say that HOAs [as well as cities/counties] can “restrict[s] or clarify[y]ies the use of mulches considered detrimental to the association's (or city/county’s) operations,” this leaves interpretation open to the property owner to assume gravel or rock, with no native or water wise exotic plantings, is an appropriate landscape treatment. Furthermore, it is unclear what constitutes a detrimental condition to an association or a city/county. This should be clarified pursuant to future updates to HB282.

Screen+Shot+2022-10-31+at+10.10.33+AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2022-10-31 at 10.13.16 AM.png

As landscape architects, we understand the implications of too much concrete pavement or asphalt or rock or gravel on a property – most importantly, each material negatively impacts the micro-climate and increases temperatures exacerbating the urban heat island effect. Additionally, unless the property is located in a desert region such as southern Utah or Nevada where it is the vernacular landscape, the introduction of extensive gravel or rock to a property can alter or destroy the character of a property where it is appears out of place.

Certainly, gravel and rock are inexpensive and can help reduce irrigation costs for a property owner but the impacts to the local community can be disruptive. There is indeed a difference between ‘xeriscaping’ and what many landscape architects describe as ‘zero-scaping’ (e.g., unlimited hardscape or gravel/rock). Landscape architects should play a greater role in the preparation of future House Bills and/or their updates.

HB282 can be reviewed here: https://le.utah.gov/~2022/bills/static/HB0282.html

Special Thanks to ASLA Utah Sponsors & Corporate Partners for their Support!

Platinum Sponsors
BioGrass | Rain Bird | Victor Stanley

Learn More About Our Sponsors

ASLA UTAH SEPTEMBER 2022 NEWSLETTER

September 29, 2022 by ASLA Utah

ASLA UTAH SEPTEMBER 2022 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

Advocacy Site Visit: Millcreek Common Tuesday, October 18, 2022, at 4:00pm REGISTER HERE

ASLA UT 2022 Annual Awards Dinner Sponsored by BioGrass Friday October 28th, 6:00-8:30pm The Shop, 350 E 400 S, 3rd Floor, Salt Lake City Buy Tickets Here

LuckyDog Recreation - Lunch & Learn November 3rd, 11:30am ASLA UT Offices 280 S 400 W REGISTER HERE

Victor Stanley On-Demand LA CES™ Education Sessions:
SEE CLASS SCHEDULE & REGISTER HERE

ASLA National Conference on Landscape Architecture November 11-14, 2022, San Francisco, CA REGISTER HERE

ASLA Utah Advocacy Millcreek Commons Site Visit

Thomas Eddington, VP of Advocacy

As part of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) advocacy efforts to ensure our members and our elected officials continue to maintain a keen awareness of the landscape architecture profession and the many influential projects that have been created around the state, the Utah Chapter invites you to tour one of the area’s special gems: Millcreek Common on Thursday, October 18, 2022, at 4pm.

Millcreek Common was designed by EPG Design which is based in Midvale, UT. Millcreek Common is a community gathering locale that provides a beautiful setting with many recreational offerings. It is home Utah’s largest outdoor skating rink which is specially designed to magically transform from a retro-vibe summertime roller skating rink to a beautiful ice-skating rink in the winter. The site is further activated by special skating activities such as games, contests, and live music are held during the week, and every week they hold a Thursday Food Truck Rally, G.O.A.T Friday, and D.J. Skate night Saturdays.

We encourage our members to join us at this site tour to help us showcase this unique project to our local and state elected officials. The site tour will also include an open discussion about the landscape architecture profession, its benefits, and its contributions to our community. We expect the entire tour and discussion to take about an hour and a half.

Parking information: Millcreek Common plaza is in between Highland Drive and 1300 East on 3300 South. Look for the big construction crane. Other area landmarks include: Harmons Grocery, Crown Burger, Tres Hombres and Home Depot. Access parking via Chambers Avenue, which is just south of Crown Burger. You can also access parking via Woodland Avenue.

RSVP HERE

We look forward to seeing you at this event! Please RSVP by Friday, October 14th at 5pm MT.

ASLA Utah Parking Day Recap

Aaron Johnson, VP of Visibility & Public Affairs

ASLA Utah is proud to announce another success full Parking Day activity this year!!! One of the main highlights was working with the energetic and creative 3rd grade students at Calvin S. Smith Elementary school in Taylorsville. For those that don’t know, we partnered with Mrs. Meredith Harkers 3 rd grade class to design a mini park! They were excited from the minute we arrived! The students loved the idea of creating more green space in our cities paved in asphalt. When asked if they had a favorite park, every hand shot up with stories and experiences they had there. When asked if they had a favorite parking lot there were no hands and a lot of confused looks, ‘why would we have a favorite parking lot?!’. Given a paper with two parking spaces on it, they went to town on designing the best park this world has seen. Many had petting zoos, slides, fishing ponds, shade trees, dog parks, bird houses, and much more! They were excited to share their ideas with the class and hear the oooh’s and ahh’s from their fellow students.

This was a great experience for not only the students and Utah ASLA, but for all those who attended parking day. As part of our installation we showcased all 50 of their drawings and highlighted their ideas! There drawings were easily the most popular part of parking day, and we even had a few students show up with their parents to see their work displayed for all to see.

Involving the 3 rd graders was a unique, amazing and inspiring experience and one that we hope to do as often as possible. Utah ASLA was even reached out to by National ASLA to be mentioned in their recap of parking day nationwide!

Huge thanks to Progressive Plants for lending us some beautiful trees and shrubs for the day. Thanks to Landscape forms for donating the tables and chairs for the day, and of course, and massive thank you to SoHo Food Truck park for accommodating us this year! Thanks to everyone who makes this wonderful profession run and we look forward to seeing you at other events.

ASLA Utah Parking Day Recap

Tyler Smithson, VP of Membership & Member Services

This year's ASLA AZ + UT Awards collaboration featured numerous high-quality projects that were submitted from around Arizona in the categories of general design, residential design, unbuilt, analysis and planning, landmark, student collaborative, and community service. The Arizona USLA Awards program celebrates excellence by recognizing the firms, individuals, and agencies responsible for outstanding works of landscape architecture and environmental planning that promote an enhanced quality of life in Arizona and beyond. Additionally, a big thanks to August Bateman, Ladd Schiess, Melissa Fryer, and Survier Castillo served as the jurors from the ASLA UT Chapter.

Special Thanks to ASLA Utah Sponsors & Corporate Partners for their Support!

Platinum Sponsors
BioGrass | Rain Bird | Victor Stanley

Learn More About Our Sponsors

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A 2023 SPONSOR or Corporate Partner

ASLA UTAH AUGUST 2022 NEWSLETTER

August 30, 2022 by ASLA Utah

ASLA UTAH AUGUST 2022 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

NEXT WEEK!!!! Don’t miss out - REGISTER NOW!! ASLA Utah Annual Conference 2022
September 8th & 9th, Salt Lake City, Utah Conference Schedule: Click Here

Omega II Fence Systems - Lunch & Learn NEXT Wednesday, September 7th, Noon ASLA UT Offices 280 S 400 W REGISTER HERE

Victor Stanley On-Demand LA CES™ Education Sessions:
SEE CLASS SCHEDULE & REGISTER HERE

ASLA National Conference on Landscape Architecture November 11-14, 2022, San Francisco, CA REGISTER HERE

Leadership Express

Adam Castor, Chapter President

Hello ASLA Utah!

It seems hard to believe that the first of September is coming this week and that the annual conference is coming up in less than two weeks. The summer has gone by so quickly with preparations and planning for the conference, as well as the other ASLA events that are planned for this fall. I am excited about the topic for this year’s conference and the lineup of speakers and landscape architects that we will hear from. There is sure to be plenty of good information to go around and an impressive collection of experienced professionals. If you haven’t already, please consider registering for the conference and come enjoy two days of catching up with colleagues and vendors, visiting sponsor booths, acquiring some valuable continuing education credits, and showing your support for the ASLA Utah chapter. I am looking forward to seeing everyone again.

The 2022 Election has ended and I would like to congratulate and welcome the winners announced in this newsletter to the ASLA Utah Chapter Executive Committee, we’re super happy to have you all on board

There are sill several opportunities listed to become involved in the chapter:

Climate Action Committee – We are still looking for volunteers to join this committee on climate action, initiated by ASLA national. I would love to report that we have some members interested in participating on this committee at the CPC meetings in November, so please reach out if you are interested.

Strategic Plan – We are still looking for volunteers to join this committee to help shape the chapter’s strategic plan and vision for the future. Involvement is the best way to make a difference, so if you are interested in this committee please reach out.

ASLA Virtual Advocacy Day – We were able to fill two of the three openings to participate in the Virtual Advocacy Day meeting. Thanks to Seth Bockholt and Thomas Eddington for registering for this important meeting, they will be discussing landscape architecture and advocating for our profession with Utah legislators and representatives on September 29th.

Landscape Architecture Board – We received three resumes for nominees to fill the vacant position on the Utah Landscape Architecture Board. The nominees are Lars Anderson, landscape architect with PEC; Dave Harris, landscape architect with EPG; and Scott Peters, landscape architect with VENN Collaborative. Thank you Lars, Dave, and Scott for volunteering to fill this position.

Calendar Updates: Here is a look forward to what is coming up on the ASLA Utah calendar:

ASLA Utah Annual Conference on Landscape Architecture – September 8-9, 2022
Park(ing) Day – September 16, 2022
Advocacy Site Tour September 22, 2022
ASLA Virtual Advocacy Day – September 29, 2022
Awards Banquet – October 2022
ASLA CPC Meetings – November 9-10, 2022
ASLA National Conference on Landscape Architecture – November 11-14, 2022

Here is a look at what is happening at ASLA National: ASLA National Conference in San Francisco – Designing A Better Future: There’s only one week left to register for the ASLA 2022 Conference at the early-bird rate. Register to join 6,500 of your peers, and learn about the 120 education sessions, 25 field sessions, 6 Deep dive sessions and 3 LARE prep workshops.

Free Student Conference Registration: The ASLA Fund is offering free registration to student members for the 2022 ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture in San Francisco. To receive the free registration, students are required to donate approximately four hours of their time helping at the conference. Once students register, they will receive an email from Judy Mehlman with details. The registration deadline for the student volunteer program ends September 21, 2022.

Government Affairs: The State Government Affairs team continues to track nearly 200 occupational licensing bills including bills that threaten to weaken or undermine licensure, reduce barriers to licensure, and/or have a direct impact on the profession. They are working closely with the Idaho-Montana Chapter (IMASLA) to respond to Governor Greg Gianforte’s efforts to cut regulatory red tape. In June, the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) released a survey asking licensees alarming questions about the future of landscape architecture licensure in the state. Lt. Governor Kristen Juras is leading the governor’s effort to reduce red tape, and after learning that landscape architecture licensure may be targeted for elimination, State Government Affairs worked with IMASLA to send a letter to help educate her on the profession and its impacts in the state. We continue to work with the chapter on next steps including hiring a lobbyist and engaging the entire Montana membership in advocacy efforts.

In July, State Government Affairs submitted written comments and provided oral testimony on Colorado proposed Rule 1.7. ASLA supports improving the mobility of the profession and shared our concerns that the proposed rule would create a barrier to obtaining endorsement/reciprocity in Colorado for emerging professionals. We also recommended removing all references to federal licensure to avoid confusion and asked that the board consider aligning their education and experience requirements with the Uniform Licensure Standard for Landscape Architecture. 

General ASLA Highlights

The Executive Committee held its summer retreat in Ohio. The committee began discussions on the FY2023 annual operating plan and budget, participated in a leadership workshop, and reviewed recommendations for the 2023-24 federal priorities agenda among other items.
Recently, ASLA completed its updated version of the white paper, Landscape Architecture is a STEM Discipline, which includes a comprehensive section on Landscape Architecture Education’s Use of STEM-Related Research, Innovation, and Technology.  This section (Section 4; pages 20-41) includes many examples of university landscape architecture program-led research projects, including projects that partner with federal, state, and local government agencies.  In fact, some of these projects partner with the US Army Corps of Engineers, USDA, USDOT, HHS, and more. The section also highlights the development and deployment of new technologies by university landscape architecture departments, faculty, and students, including several projects that led to the issuance of U.S. patents. The section continues with a brief history of landscape architecture’s practice and the US patent classification system, a clear indicator of the profession’s work in developing new technologies.
ASLA announced it is developing a Climate Action Plan (CAP) and introduced the CAP Task Force Chair Pamela Conrad, ASLA, the Task Force, and Advisory Group. The announcement was made via a press release, blog post, all member email, and four social posts. A new CAP webpage was also released, which will evolve as more information related to the plan is released.

Thank you to all of our members, our executive director and our committees, and especially our sponsors. There are a lot of exciting things happening at ASLA Utah, none of which would be possible without all of your support. Until I see you at the conference….cheers!

Adam Castor, ASLA Chapter President

ASLA UT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2022 ELECTION RESULTS

CONGRATULATIONS!!! These great ASLA Members will be join the Utah Chapter’s Executive Committee. in November 2022

President-Elect – Paul Stead
Secretary – Ladd Schiess
VP of Membership & Membership Services – Tyler Smithson

Want to get to know your new Executive Committee Members? CLICK HERE

PLATINUM SPONSOR ARTICLE

Screen+Shot+2022-02-16+at+11.44.22+AM.jpg

*Pittsburgh Expands Tech to Parks after Years of Success and Savings with Smart Waste Bins*

Sensor equipped waste bins send Pittsburgh real-time data, monitoring everything from fullness to street-level conditions. Now that crews can optimize their waste collection, a job that once required 25 people now only takes 8. Allowing workers to focus on other pressing tasks, including street repairs and cleaning up vacant lots. Along with measuring receptacle fill levels for more efficient collection, Relay also collects street-level data that can help cut CO2 emissions, improve public health and bring environmental equity to all parts of the city.

Relay sensors were soon piloted for their parks. The sensors were originally deployed at Pittsburgh's Frick Park and have since been spreading throughout the city as parks are renovated. They have proved beneficial for the parks, especially in hard to access areas like trails. Previously, trucks would slowly navigate these trails to check whether a waste container required collection. Now, the Relay sensors omit the need for this by monitoring the fill levels and weights of all containers so that they can be collected at the optimal time.

Pittsburgh is also approaching the task of CO2 reduction by way of carbon sequestration from the 40,000 trees the city currently has street-side. The Relay system can enhance this initiative using its environmental sensors to measure the temperature of every container within the city. When these sensors determine an area has atypically high temperatures, the city can then evaluate and determine if there is insufficient tree coverage, which would provide analytical support for planting trees there in the future.

Conference Registration

Special Thanks to ASLA Utah Sponsors & Corporate Partners for their Support!

Learn More About Our Sponsors

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A 2023 SPONSOR or Corporate Partner

ASLA UTAH MAY 2022 NEWSLETTER

May 31, 2022 by ASLA Utah

ASLA UTAH May 2022 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

Victor Stanley, ACTIVATED + INCLUSIVE: Dynamic Mixed-use Environments, LA CES Credits: 1.0 PDH, Jun 28, 2022 | 12 PM MST
Speakers: Lisl Kotheimer, Associate, Landscape Architect & Jeffrey Pongonis, Principal, Landscape Architect @MKSK. REGISTER HERE

Early Bird Rates End July 31st ASLA Utah Annual Conference 2022
September 8th & 9th, Salt Lake City, Utah
REGISTER HERE

REMEMBER to VOTE!! ASLA UT Executive Committee Elections Open Positions: Pres. Elect, Secretary, VP of Marketing/Visibility, VP of Membership. Contact: Jake Powell, jake.powell@usu.edu

CALL FOR ENTRIES ASLA Utah Professional Awards Entries due 5:00 pm Friday, June 24. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Leadership Express

Adam Castor, Chapter President

Hello everyone!

I hope that you all had an enjoyable holiday weekend despite the cool temperatures and rain that have moved in, and no doubt created some last-minute changes to somebody’s plans. For us, this time of year has typically meant traveling to a baseball tournament somewhere or a float down the Green River. This year, we’re in between the spring and summer seasons of high school baseball and we have been able to enjoy the long weekend at home and catch up with friends and family over dinner.

Without the distraction of the things that have typically taken place over Memorial Day weekend, I spent some time looking at and reading about memorial sites of all kinds across the country that included design by landscape architects. There are some amazing projects out there in honor of those that have served and those that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Here are a few photos of the memorials that I enjoyed learning more about:

National Veterans Memorial and Museum – Columbus, OH (Allied Works, OLIN, Ralph Appelbaum Associates)

World War I Memorial – Washington D.C. (Original design: M. Paul Friedberg, FASLA and Oehme, van Sweden. Recent design: GWWO Architects, David Rubin Land Collective)

Eunice Veterans Memorial – Eunice, NM (MRWM)

Layton Vietnam Memorial – Layton, UT

While I was at Architectural Nexus, I had the opportunity to work with JoEllen Grandy and Layton City on the Kenley Amphitheater and plaza renovation project, as well as the Vietnam Memorial Wall. Our scope of work did not include design for the site or the memorial, rather we provided construction drawings for the memorial and raised planters adjacent to the memorial wall. This project turned out to be a beautiful memorial for the veterans and their families of the Vietnam War.

Now that we have made it through all of the excitement of World Landscape Architecture Month, the executive- and sub-committees have turned attention to working out the final details of the annual conference and filling this year’s ballot with nominees for our open positions. If you are interested in volunteering a little bit of time and helping the ASLA Utah chapter advocate for the landscape architecture profession and our chapter members, please reach out and nominate yourself of someone you know that may be interested. It’s a great time to be a landscape architect and there are some great opportunities to become a part of ASLA.

ASLA National Happenings:

Government Affairs

Deadline Extended to Sunday, June 5: Federal & State Legislative Priorities Survey

Please help ASLA Government Affairs by participating in the biennial Federal & State Legislative Priorities Survey. We are encouraging all Chapters to meet one of the following goals: 1) chapter participation of 25%, or 2) a 25% chapter participation increase when compared to your chapter’s participation two years ago.

Help determine ASLA’s federal legislative agenda and state advocacy activities for 2023-2024. As the national voice for the landscape architecture profession, we want to hear from you on what you think are the most important policy issues. ASLA works with chapters, state and federal legislators, state and administration officials, and regulatory bodies to advance policies critical to the profession.

The purpose of this short survey is twofold:

1. To formulate ASLA’s federal legislative priorities for the 118th Congress.

2. To provide useful data to help guide chapters' state legislative priorities and advocacy efforts.

Two years ago, we broke all of our previous response records when close to 2,400 ASLA members took our priorities survey. This year, help us surpass 3,000 by not only taking this survey yourself, but by encouraging your friends, colleagues, chapter members, and all landscape architects to participate. Every voice matters, and we want to make sure as many people as possible are heard. Your ASLA Government Affairs team thanks you in advance for your responses! With your input, ASLA will continue to succeed in our mission to advocate for you and your profession.

State Government Affairs: As of May 18, 21 states remain in legislative session. ASLA staff is tracking 197 occupational licensing bills. The state government affairs team continues to work closely with chapters on legislative advocacy initiatives, including submitting public comments for the proposed rules for the implementation of the Illinois Title Act.

Throughout the spring, the Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Washington Chapters worked with their governors, legislatures, and mayors to declare April as Landscape Architecture Month and/or April 26 to be Frederick Law Olmsted Day. These proclamations help to educate the public on landscape architecture’s technical substance and public significance. They also serve as a reminder of the impact that design choices invariably have on community, opportunity, resilience, and equity.

The Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing (ARPL) recently developed a new Fact Check Resource to set the record straight on the various myths and purported problems that anti-licensure individuals contend can only be solved by drastically weakening or outright eliminating licensing. ARPL also recently announced the results of a state-wide survey of Louisiana voters showing voters are deeply concerned about anti-licensing proposals being discussed in Baton Rouge during this legislative session. The results showed widespread public support for maintaining rigorous professional licensing standards for professions that have a clear impact on public health, safety, and welfare.

Over 50 applications were received for the Women of Color Licensure Advancement Program (WCLAP). In April, the WCLAP jury selected the 10 awardees, which will be publicly announced in the May 31st edition of LAND. The WCLAP aims to support women of color in their pursuit of landscape architecture licensure and increase racial and gender diversity within the profession.

Professional Practice

SKILL|ED Project Management for Landscape Architects June 21-23, 2022, 12:00-1:15 pm MST

Join ASLA National for a new course series focused on effective project management for landscape architecture professionals. As a project manager, you have a million things to keep track of at any given stage. Effective project management keeps you focused on each step of the way, from beginning to end. Through this course series, you will learn how to develop core project management plan components to bring you, your clients, and the project team into alignment on resources, milestones, and budget.

Speakers: Christine E. Pearson, ASLA – Director of Quality Management, Browning Day
Clarence Lacy – Project Director, RIOS
L. Irene Compadre, ASLA – Principal @ Arbolope Studio Lecturer @ the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis, Lecturer @ Washington University in St. Louis
Michael Powell – Director of Marketing & Public Art, Arbolope Studio
All sessions will be available for on-demand after the live event for registered attendees!
As always, thanks to all of our sponsors and members for all that you do for the ASLA Utah Chapter. We look forward to seeing you all again soon!
Adam Castor, ASLA UT Chapter President

ASLA Committee Opportunity

Thomas Eddington, VP of Advocacy

We need your help. ASLA Utah is working with our partner entities to review the current Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management (DFCM) fee structure that is used as a guide for project bidding. At issue is the fact that the current language in the bidding documents does not include landscape architecture in the Basic Services section:

Basic Services will vary from project to project. The following is an example of a typical project distribution as a percentage of the fee. The distribution will be determined on a project by project basis by the Prime Firm:

Architectural 60%
Mechanical 15%
Structural 12%
Electrical 10%
Civil 3%

We would like to form a sub-committee of landscape architects with experience or interest in state funded projects and work with AIA Utah and other partner entities to ensure landscape architects are included in the State’s bidding documents in the future.

If you are interested in joining this working sub-committee or have questions, please contact Thomas Eddington, thomas@inplandesign.com. Thanks!

Girls Night Out with Rain Bird

Jenny Sonntag, Executive Director

Cactus and Tropicals was the setting for the first ever Girls Night Out with Rain Bird! This original and fun event was an effort to help accomplish part of the DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) challenge given to each chapter from ASLA National. Diversity involves celebrating difference based on gender, race, sexual orientation, sexual identity, culture, or ethnicity. Equity is defined as fairness, and inclusion means "for all people."

Women are still a minority in the Landscape Architect profession and often there is only one female LA in an entire firm of architects. In an effort to help women in this profession network, bond and simply have a fun night out Rain Bird’s Tiffany Haveron crafted a unique event to gather female LA’s, learn about new hydration products, and then each attendee learned how to build their own small succulent container garden to take home. As you can see from the photos - it was a riot and we hope to schedule more fun interactive events like this in the future. Thank you Rain Bird for getting us together to learn, laugh and create!

Special Thanks to ASLA Utah Sponsors & Corporate Partners for their Support in 2021 and look forward to working with you in 2022!! Renew your Sponsorship Here

Learn More About Our Sponsors

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A 2022 SPONSOR or Corporate Partner