ASLA UTAH NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER

November 20, 2023 by ASLA Utah

ASLA UTAH NOVEMBER 2023 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

**REGISTER NOW! EarlyBird Pricing ends Jan. 31st**
*Cultivating the Profession of Landscape Architecture* 2024 ASLA Utah Annual Conference & Expo. Wednesday, March 27th Riverwoods Conference Center, Logan Utah

**UNLA Green Conference 2024 Mountain America Expo Center** January 22th - 24th **REGISTER HERE**

Leadership Express

Paul Stead, ASLA Utah President

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I was able to spend some time with family, as I hope all of you had the chance to do. The Thanksgiving holiday is unique in that the focus really is just that, time together with the ones we love. As I reflect on the Minneapolis conference this year, and as I step into the position of President, I find myself finding a common theme in my relationship with ALSA, for those I work and associate with in this profession. It’s easy to get wrapped up in our own responsibilities, but coming together with other landscape architects feels like getting together with family. I may not know all of you, but I hope to, and am uplifted by you all.

I want to thank Jake Powell, who is moving into the position of Past President. He’s been a great mentor and I have enjoyed working with him over this last year. He has given generously of his time throughout his term, and I hope to live up to his example. Thanks for everything Jake, glad to have you around for one more year :) Thanks also to Adam Castor, who has been serving as Past President, John Gottfredson, serving as treasurer, Aaron Johnson, VP of Visibility and Public Affairs, and Cameron Blakely serving as VP of Professional Development. I appreciate all the time you have given to help your fellow landscape architects.

I am excited for the coming year and look forward to doing all I can to magnify our profession. I was able to attend a meet and greet with DFCM leadership last week and was surprised to find many friends in the room, and it was great to connect with associates new and old. I hope that we can make some headway in the legislature this year and bring more awareness to our profession. I am optimistic about where we are headed and look forward to a great year.

Happy Holidays! Paul Stead

ASLA Utah 2023 Award Winners

Tyler Smithson, VP of Membership

We had a great turnout this year for award submittals and are excited to present four awards in the two categories of General Design and Analysis & Planning. It is truly an honor to be able to highlight the best projects on an annual basis and I thank the firms who participated in this year's event for all the hard work that went into submitting the projects to the ASLA Utah for peer review with the Wisconsin ASLA chapter. This process provides invaluable insight on and non-biased inquiry that helps determine how each project scores based on pre-established criteria and quantitative metrics. Notable mentions go out to the volunteers who participated in the swap include: Craig Houston, Rob Hussey, August Bateman, Brenda Wadsworth, and Benji Williamson who reviewed projects submitted by the WI chapter that had a very different midwestern context.

In addition to the ASLA Awards, the Urban Design Utah chapter (a joint program of AIA, APA, ASLA, CNU, & ULI) presented two Legacy Awards this year in recognition of excellence and achievement in Urban Design. The first to receive honors was Helper Main Street + Price River Parkway for community revitalization through preservation, activation, and riparian restoration. And the second award went to Downtown Ogden River Corridor for guiding redevelopment with green infrastructure. We thank the continued support and efforts of Urban Design Utah to give accolades to projects which have made significant contributions to communities within Utah!

On Behalf of the ASLA Utah Chapter, I would like to congratulate this years award winners as they were given honors at the awards banquet and images of their projects are highlighted below.

Burch Creek Park in South Ogden City by Landmark Design - Merit Award

Magna Regional Park in Salt Lake County by G Brown Design - Honor Award

Seven Mile Ranch in Bear Lake County, Idaho by Loci - Merit Award

Seven Greenways Vision Plan of Salt Lake City by Design Workshop and Seven Canyons Trust - Award of Excellence

Click Here to view additional details & images of each award winners on the ASLA UT Website.

ASLA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT — LISA ADEO

Q: Where did you grow up? Where did you go to College?
I grew up in Gran and Oslo, Norway (Gran means pinetree in Norwegian) and finished highschool at the International School of Geneva (Ecolint) in Geneva, Switzerland. After that I got a BA in Government from Smith College, and much later, an MLA from USU. I am currently finishing a Master in Public Administration from SUU.

Q: Tell me about your family and interests (work and non-work related).
With parent from two countries and cultures (Norwegian father and mother from
Massachusetts), I consider myself “third culture”, in which I feel at home anywhere and nowhere all at the same time. This “condition” is amplified by the fact that my husband is from Peru, and the travels and places we have lived throughout our now 36 years of marriage. Our 3 children feel the same way.

Q: What is something that makes you unique?
Being involved in the arts through my husband’s work I think sets me apart from most people in my current profession. He studied mime with Marcel Marceau in Paris (where we met), and his performances and productions eventually took us to SeaWorld, Orlando, where we produced and managed two original shows. From there we sold our house in Florida and ended up buying and operating a circus (Cirque du Soleil style) in Peru. Those experiences were difficult, but taught us many lessons about hard work, having a vision, and living intentionally. I think I’m just beginning to understand what all that means, but the process is unique to me.

Q: Please describe an LA project that you have recently accomplished within the last year/recent years that you are proud of:
In May the City of St. George inaugurated a 4 acre neighborhood park that I worked on for over a year. That gave me many opportunities for growth, and to see people enjoying its desert garden, playground, and trails gives me great satisfaction.

Q: What led you to landscape architecture?
It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pursue a career path I feel passionate about: Working with Nature; Regenerative Design; Integrated solutions that provide win-wins for people and all other living things.

Q: What is your favorite part of your practice?
Having the freedom to think outside the box and use my creative talents: Be paid for doing something I believe in and enjoy.

Q: What do you find inspiring?
Landforms, colors, textures, sounds, fragrances, cultures, art, languages, deep
conversations, forms of adaptation, simplicity, diversity, music, plants, and animals. The works and writings of Neal Spackman, Vandana Shiva, Natalie Topa, Brad Lancaster, Masanobu Fukuoka, Geoff Lawton, and Bill Mollison.

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

Click here to become a 2024 ASLA Utah Sponsor or Partner!

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

Corporate Partners
MHTN | Io LandArch | SGLA Technical Training

Learn More About Our Sponsors

ASLA UTAH OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

October 24, 2023 by ASLA Utah

ASLA UTAH OCTOBER 2023 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

**LuckyDog Recreation Lunch & Learn** Monday, November 13th, 12:00pm. **(Virtual Option)** ASLA UT Office 270 S 400 W, SLC **REGISTER HERE**

**GreenBlue Urban. LACES Virtual Seminar** Wednesday, November 15th, 12:00pm **REGISTER HERE**

***SAVE THE DATE!!!

**2024 ASLA Utah Annual Conference & Expo. *Cultivating the Profession of Landscape Architecture* Wednesday March 27th. Logan, Utah.** **More details coming soon!

Leadership Express

Jake Powell, ASLA Utah President

One of the questions I have pondered during my time as the Utah ASLA chapter president is “what does the American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA) do for me (and by extension each of you)?” I suppose the underpinnings of this question point to our desire to weigh the comparative cost of our annual dues with the value it creates. I want to delve into that important question and share how my understanding of the answer(s) have evolved through my service in the ASLA. I hope that it will provide you with some answers to that question if you have ever asked it yourself.

Advocacy:

ASLA is actively protecting and advancing the profession of landscape architecture at a national and local level in ways that I have come to appreciate and admire over the past few years. While your great individual work certainly elevates the profession, there is so much critical work happening behind the scenes at a legislative and policy level. Much of the legislative and legal structure our profession currently operates within has been fought for by ASLA since its inception. We owe so much to the ASLA of the past for what we have now!

Currently, ASLA is advocating in the halls of Congress for legislation that protects the profession and that opens up funding streams to support projects that in turn create work opportunities for landscape architects to engage in major national initiatives. This kind of work is happening locally in Utah as well.

The ASLA state chapter leaders have received incredible support from ASLA national in our efforts to protect and advocate for the profession of landscape architecture in Utah. This collaborative effort helped us effectively engage with our local elected leaders, and strategize on the next steps to similarly create more spaces where the skills of landscape architects are recognized and even required in our state.

These processes take time to bear fruit, but I assure you that ASLA is proactively and passionately engaged in the invisible efforts to sustain and grow the profession you depend to support yourself and your family. While likely none of us have the time and expertise to advocate for the profession even part-time, I am grateful that at a national and state level someone is. Your dues and participation in ASLA make that advocacy possible.

Training:

Landscape architecture is a profession that needs to be aware of and often on the cutting edge of so many different things: sustainability, technology, products, and policies to name just a few. ASLA brings that training to your doorstep through online learning, conferences, and local lunch-and-learn training events that expose you to ideas, concepts, products, and processes that you wouldn’t likely discover on your own. ASLA supports the lifelong learning of professionals and makes it accessible for you to acquire it. ASLA supports the formal professional development opportunities as well as the informal learning that happens among colleagues and friends. When else would you pause your work to learn something new? Your participation in ASLA creates new opportunities to expand your knowledge and hone your craft.

Connections:

One of my favorite things about the profession of landscape architecture is the tight-knit community I feel a part of. It happens in the studios as a student, transfers to the office, and is supported by the ASLA. The social events ASLA plans and hosts support the critical interpersonal networking that has created new partnerships, linked future employers to employees, inspired friendships and reconnected old friends and colleagues. Where else can you find a room full of people who 1- actually know what you do for work, 2- are interested in having a stimulating discussion about the complexities of street tree planting best practices, 3- actually care about your opinions regarding the quality of AutoCAD’s new release, and 4- are some of the most down to earth, best people you can spend time with? I would propose there isn’t such a room outside of an ASLA-sponsored event. Your participation in ASLA facilitates the connections that make landscape architecture feel like a big family. A family I am proud to claim allegiance to.

Your membership and support are meaningful, and the value of your dues is multiplied and comes back in likely more ways than I was able to explain above. I challenge you to look for how your membership in ASLA has impacted you, your company, your work, and the larger profession. I also challenge you to reach out to those who are sharing in the benefits ASLA brings to the profession, but are not fully engaged in supporting the efforts that create those benefits and invite them to join and support ASLA.

Our profession is stronger together, and it is only through bringing many voices to the table that we can continue to advocate for the profession.

I want to thank each of you for supporting and participating in ASLA, it continues to be an honor to serve you in this great work of advancing the profession of landscape architecture.

ASLA Utah 2023 Awards Event

Tyler Smithson, VP of Membership

On October 6, 2023 ASLA Utah celebrated the Annual Awards Event at the very hip location, The Shop. Guests feasted on a variety of yummy crepes to the sounds of DJ Moody spinning tunes that kept the evening lively. Award winners and their colleagues and guests were able to meet, mingle network and socialize with a wide variety of landscape architects, state employees and supportive vendors. This event is always so much fun and has become an annual tradition - plan on attending next year! Huge Thanks to Berliner for sponsoring the Awards Event this year

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ASLA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Tyler Smithson, VP of Membership

Q: Where did you grow up? Where did you go to College? I grew up in the small town of Evanston, Wyoming. I think this helped smart my creativity as a kid as we tried to find new and fun things to do. I enjoyed the small town feel and got my B.S. degree from Utah State University in Logan, UT.

Q: Tell us about your family and interests (work and non-work related). I currently live in Spanish Fork with my beautiful wife (also from Evanston) and four children. One boy and Three girls ranging in age from one to nine years old. When I'm not spending time with my family, I enjoy working on projects at my home and in my yard or spending time in the mountains hunting. I’ve always been interested in the environmental side of Landscape Architecture.

Q: What is something that makes you unique? When I was 9 years old, I got into a four-wheeler crash with my cousin while in the mountains in Wyoming and had to get 50 stitches in my leg. I’m also allergic to cashews and several different types of fruit, and I don’t like peanut butter.

Q: Describe an LA project that you have recently accomplished recently that you are proud of. I was a part of the team for a recently completed project along US-89 between Farmington and Layton. As part of the project, we developed an Aesthetics Plan for the corridor that included the colors, textures and design for the new walls and bridge structures. We also completed a landscape plan for the area and developed wetland and stream mitigation sites for the project.

Q: What would you like to get out of the ASLA? I hope to grow relationships with likeminded individuals in the industry to help move our profession forward and provide a valuable service to our community.

Q: What interests you in Landscape Architecture? My interest with landscape architecture has always been the breadth and variety or work we can do. And whether you're designing small residential yard, master planning a large community, designing a park, visitors center, or stream mitigation; you're creating spaces to connect people.

Q: What is your favorite part of your practice? I enjoy that every day is different. With my current position, I work a lot in the environmental portion of projects. For that, I’m able to spend a lot of time out of the office visiting project sites to delineate waters and wetlands. Other days, I'm able to create 3D renderings to help communities visual proposed projects, write reports, create figures, or work on park designs for local communities.

Q: What is your favorite hobby? My favorite hobby would be hunting. I’m particularly interested in the challenge of archery hunting.

Q: What do you find inspiring? I find people inspiring that commit their time to a cause. They see a need, and they do something about it. I’m also a sucker for sports movies based on true events.

USU STUDENT HIGHLIGHT - TANNER WYATT

Hi, my name is Tanner Wyatt, and I am this year's Secretary of our ASLA Student Chapter here at Utah State. I am originally from Lehi, UT, and moved to Logan about 3 years ago to study Landscape Architecture. I am committed to bringing excitement and development to the landscape architecture students of USU’s LAEP program, and connecting them with opportunities outside of the studio.

In the studio experience, our students gain many skills that benefit them in their professional experience. As an ASLA Presidency, we like to provide them with new opportunities for networking, character building, and community involvement. On October 14th, we gathered students to help representatives from the Logan and Ogden Ranger Stations in a Canyon Clean-Up event. As a group, we logged over 55 hours of service clearing trash, picking up spent bullet casings, and replacing a damaged fence in a public-access shooting area in Providence Canyon. As a side benefit, we even witnessed the solar eclipse as it took place during our project.

As the end of October draws near, we look forward to sending several students to the National ASLA Conference in Minneapolis! We are very excited to meet and learn and gain experience to ‘Scale Up’ our ability to succeed in this field!

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

Click here to become a 2024 ASLA Utah Sponsor or Partner!

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

Corporate Partners
MHTN | Io LandArch | SGLA Technical Training

Learn More About Our Sponsors

ASLA UTAH SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER

September 29, 2023 by ASLA Utah

ASLA UTAH SEPTEMBER 2023 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

**PIKUS TOUR - Lunch & Learn 1 CEU Approved - 3-D Poly Grout** Thursday, October 5th, 2:30pm - 4:30pm Pikus 3D Lab - 9573 S 6400 W., West Jordan **REGISTER HERE** **(Space limited to 18)**

**YOU’RE INVITED! 2023 ASLA UT Annual Awards Event** **Sponsored by Berliner** Friday, October 6th, 6:00pm - 8:00pm **The Shop,** ***350 E 400 S, (3rd Floor), Salt Lake*** **REGISTER HERE**

**PlaySpace Designs Lunch & Learn** Friday, October 20th, 12:00pm ASLA UT Office 270 S 400 W, SLC **REGISTER HERE**

**2023 Southern Utah Green Conference** Wednesday, November 1st, 8:30am – 4:20pm Dixie Convention Center, St. George. **REGISTER HERE**

**LuckyDog Recreation Lunch & Learn** Monday, November 13th, 12:00pm ASLA UT Office 270 S 400 W, SLC **REGISTER HERE**

**ASLA 2023 National Conference** October 27th-30th - Minneapolis, MN **REGISTER HERE**

Leadership Express

Jake Powell, ASLA Utah President

All of you know that what appears on the surface is an edifice that masks countless details that are happening behind the scenes and just below the surface. That is definitely the case with the ASLA, at a national and state level the ASLA is working diligently behind the scenes on a myriad of issues that help protect and enhance the profession of landscape architecture. This month there has been a lot going on behind the scenes that I wanted to make you aware of.

The ASLA Utah Executive Committee has been working behind the scenes for decades to educate and advocate for landscape architecture here in our state. However, these efforts are difficult or often impossible to do adequately amid all of our busy lives. As you can imagine, opportunities to proactively advocate often happen at meetings held during the workday or at events those of us just doing our work are never aware of. The 2023 Utah Legislative Session brought to light that not only does our profession need to be at those meetings to defend our work, but we need to be at those meetings to proactively advocate for, and influence policies that relate to our work.

This month the Utah ASLA Executive Committee has been discussing how to get more actively engaged in the political arena here in Utah. We quickly realized that we lacked the expertise and time required to effectively advocate at the Utah capital, so we made the significant decision to contract with Dave Kallas, a Utah lobbyist to assist us in working behind the scenes to help us defend the profession of landscape architecture and identify areas within our state code and laws where landscape architects are either left out, or our work should be recognized.

This decision has already changed the game with regard to advocacy. It has been a busy month as we have worked to bring Dave up to speed and craft a strategy leading into the 2024 Utah legislative session. Like most things, so much of politics is about relationships, and he has helped us connect with many people we would have never known about. His efforts helped us bring some key people out for a site tour that helped us share that landscape architecture is much more than what they may know and a profession that is going to be critical to Utah’s future.

The ASLA Utah Executive Committee unanimously felt that Dave’s efforts will be critical in our advocacy efforts this year and in years to come. However, like any professional consultant who brings expertise to a project, that expertise comes at a cost. Luckily, previous ASLA leadership has been very prudent and we had sufficient funds in our account to cover the immediate expense. However, our leadership team will be looking for ways to cover the ongoing costs because his expertise will likely be an ongoing need as we look to grow support for our work with those making important decisions that will determine the validity of the profession.

As I have said before, we need to share what we do and the impact of our work. The ASLA Utah Chapter is doing that more than ever, even though it is behind the scenes. We need your support as we support what you do.

Advocacy Event - Church Office Building Plaza Tour

Thomas Eddington, VP of Advocacy

This week, ASLA Utah invited Utah State Senators, Representatives, and Governor's Cabinet to participate in a tour of the newly designed and constructed Church Office Building Plaza in downtown Salt Lake City. The intent was not only to display this wonderful new project but also ensure this influential group of leaders learned a bit more about the field of landscape architecture.

Bryce Ward welcomed the group and then ASLA Utah President, Jake Powell, addressed the attendees before introducing Cory Schupe of Blu Line Designs. Cory led a tour of his team’s work that resulted in a redesign of this plaza, a showcase for the millions of visitors that walk through this beautiful space every year. Cory explained the firm’s design ideology as well as the extent of the efforts associated with the plaza redesign and discussed some of the challenges associated with the project. The discussions with the tour guests centered around the critical role Landscape Architects play in designing projects that enhance the health, welfare and safety of our communities while also protecting our environment. Cory emphasized the efforts to incorporate water and energy saving measures into the design – his team achieved a greater than 30% reduction in water use for the plaza based on their expertise of waterwise design and plant selection.

Efforts to educate and advocate for the Landscape Architect profession have been top of mind this year and the new lobbyist, Dave Kallas, was instrumental in helping create and promote this advocacy tour behind the scenes. This event is the first of a few planned events designed to present the field of landscape architecture to elected officials statewide. ASLA Utah believes it is critically important for our Chapter to continue to advocate for the profession, increase our visibility in the state, and preserve the licensing requirement to practice our profession in the state of Utah.

If you have a project that you believe demonstrates the breadth of the field of landscape architecture and would consider coordinating with ASLA Utah to showcase it to local and state elected officials in the near future, please contact Jenny Sonntag at uaslaexecutivedirector@gmail.com

ASLA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT - BENJI WILLIAMSEN

Greetings and salutations! I am Benji Williamson. I am a Utah native, and I grew up in South Jordan and now I reside with my family in Lehi. I started my journey toward landscape architecture when I was 2 years old and got my first (I had several) bubble lawn mower. I would follow behind my dad while he mowed the lawn to make sure that nothing was missed and the lines were straight. This started a youthful career in business as I worked hard mowing lawns for my neighbors and various companies.

During my undergraduate schooling I realized that I could have the corner office with a view and be jealous of the guy mowing the lawn and after taking my first design course I knew that I wanted to get into landscape design. I love creating beautiful spaces for people to enjoy. To learn how to design beautiful spaces, I received a degree from BYU in Landscape Management and then earned a master’s at Kansas State University in Landscape Architecture. While in school, I also learned that I enjoyed the meticulous work in creating construction documents and details. In my mind, dreaming of the landscape is great, but building it is better. One of my favorite school projects was detailing out the very complex deck/trellis design I created to mimic the Flint Hill/prairie surrounding Kansas State. It would have been horrible to build but really cool when it was done!

After school I lived and worked in several states before coming back to Utah. Two years ago, I started my own irrigation consulting firm, BW Irrigation Consulting, and I provide irrigation design services for landscape architects and landscape contractors. I love irrigation design because it is the right mix of art and engineering. One of my favorite things about my work is supporting so many great teams and wonderful projects. Working for various firms in my career, I really enjoyed being part of the smaller team that supported the work of the larger team(s). In larger studios, there typically wasn't a lot of change between design teams. But doing irrigation, I was able to cross between teams and work on lots of different project types. While I do many types of projects, I love designing the irrigation systems for parks. The irrigation systems are large, complex, and fun to figure out. When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with my family (Holly, Eliza-2, and Austin-1), traveling, running, and building Lego sets.

Much of my design work is in the San Diego area, ranging from master planned communities and parks, to small retail shops. This project is a park that will be built by a developer as part of their residential community. There is a code/rule that requires developers to provide a city park if their developments are over a certain size, and then the park size grows as the development grows. This park will begin construction soon and I am very excited to be a part of it and to take my family there one day. There are several ball fields, two dog parks, multiple play structures, and an area for a future recreation center. This is a fun and challenging project.

PARK(ING) DAY 2023 - POLLINATOR PLACES!

Aaron Johnson, VP of Visibility & Social Media

Park’ing Day was a huge success! Many people visited the pop up park to learn about the role of Landscape Architects in improving our community as well as the vital role of pollinators. Huge thank you to Tess Menotti and Alaina Parsek as well as the other volunteers who helped with setup/take down and staffed the booth during the day. Shout out to Progressive Plants and Tree Utah for providing the pollinator friendly plants.

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

Click here to become a 2024 ASLA Utah Sponsor or Partner!

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

Corporate Partners
MHTN | Io LandArch | SGLA Technical Training

Learn More About Our Sponsors

ASLA UTAH AUGUST NEWSLETTER

August 29, 2023 by ASLA Utah

ASLA UTAH AUGUST 2023 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

**2023 ASLA UT Annual Awards Event** Friday, October 6th, 6:00pm - 8:00pm **The Shop,** ***350 E 400 S, (3rd Floor), Salt Lake*** **REGISTER HERE**

**Play Space Designs - Lunch & Learn** Thursday, October 20th, 12:00pm ASLA UT Office - 270 S 400 W, SLC **REGISTER HERE**

**LuckyDog Recreations - Lunch & Learn w/ virtual option.** Monday, November 13th, 12:00pm ASLA UT Office - 270 S 400 W, SLC **REGISTER HERE**

Leadership Express

Jake Powell, ASLA Utah President

One of my favorite parts of teaching is the excitement that comes with a new semester. Students arrive with so much enthusiasm for the coming year that the energy is palpable, invigorating, and inspiring.

Thinking back on my own experiences, I remember being excited to see old classmates and teachers and see what each new class was going to entail. Unfortunately, amid all the excitement there was also the stress of finding new classrooms, new roommates, and adapting to new teachers, subjects, and assignments.

While teaching a group of new landscape architecture students about the evolution of the profession of landscape architecture I was reminded of just how relatively young the professional title of landscape architect really is. The professor I was teaching with shared with the students that early in their career they had worked for one of the figures we were discussing, and related how their work had been influenced by the mentorship of this person. The effort to understand your professional “DNA” will likely only require tracing back a few generations of training, philosophy, and ethics.

I believe some of the professional DNA we inherited from as far back as the Olmstedian era is to quietly do great work and then let the work speak for itself. Although I subscribe to the quiet nobility of this humble approach, the “narrative” the work all too often tells forgets to acknowledge the role of the designer, and has unfortunately relegated many great projects, people, and their positive impacts in the preverbal shadows. The shadows are where we will remain under-valued, under-appreciated, and perhaps forgotten.

I believe that ASLA is in the business of building a brighter future for the profession of landscape architecture. Part of that is shining a bright light on the work of landscape architecture and articulating its positive impacts. Here in Utah, that awareness is going to require our collective efforts to share our work with our neighbors, friends, and on an immediate basis, elected officials.

We cannot continue as a profession that is actively envisioning and literally building the spaces for a better world with no one knowing about it. Just like Central Park was not a relic of nature preserved in the middle of a growing city, like many mistakenly believe, the work you are doing is not creating great places by happenstance.

I think underscoring a portion of the excitement for landscape architecture students is knowing they with each class they are growing skills and developing themselves further into the professionals they admire and hope to become. Those people they hope to become are you! Just like the people that inspired, mentored, and built you into the person you are today, you can have that same impact on the emerging professionals of tomorrow. The excited students I watch each day need to know the profession of landscape architecture is getting better, more recognized, and healthier with each generation. Please help put your work on the pedestal it deserves, tell the story of your work, learn to relate the social, cultural, environmental, and economic impacts, show it off. We won’t judge you for being too brazen, we need the positive spotlight!

**Virtual Summit- Thursday, September 21, 1:00pm- 5:00pm**

Climate Summit Article — This month we have an opportunity to participate in the first of its kind, Intermountain West Climate Summit. This summit has been in the works for some time. The Utah and Idaho/Montana chapter leaders have been talking for some time about how we can heighten the awareness of regional issues within our regional membership. Our colleagues in the Idaho/Montana chapter invited our chapter to get involved and they have been leading the effort to put this on.

The profession of landscape architecture is well tooled to engage in creating holistic solutions to the climate challenges we are bound to face. Unfortunately, well tooled does not automatically mean capable. We must educate ourselves and put the profession in the forefront through what the profession knows, and what the profession does.

An opportunity to begin that education is happening on September 21, 2023 from 1:00- 5:00 Mountain Time at the Intermountain ASLA Chapter Climate Summit. The summit is virtual and is free to attend. Attendance will qualify you for LA/CES PDH hours and will feature presenters from across the region talking about climate related issues and solutions.

Please take a minute block your calendar and plan on engaging and growing yourself and the profession on how a changing climate will affect our region. Registration information will be coming soon, look for a forthcoming email with that information.

2023 ASLA Utah Executive Committee WINNERS

Thank you all for your willingness to give your time and talents to help ASLA Utah Chapter excel! The new Executive Committee Members will take office November 2023.

Lars Erickson - President Elect

Josh Quigley - VP of Visibility

Tanner Snow - VP of Profess. Development

Thomas Eddington - VP of Advocacy

Adam Castor - Treasurer

PARK(ING) DAY 2023 - POLLINATOR PLACES!

Aaron Johnson, VP of Visibility & Social Media

Date: September 15th

Location: approx. 300 S Main St (more details to come!)

Its that time of the year! With colder weather and fall just around the corner, Utah ASLA is excited to highlight the green spaces that bring us so much joy and advocate for more creative and contextually relevant open space opportunities. Every year on the 3 rd Friday of September Utah ASLA embraces the movement called PARK(ING) DAY! This global event repurposes two parking stalls into a mini park for the day, providing a much needed contrast from the harsh reality of our parking lots and how much space of our public realm they consume!

This year we are teaming with National ASLA to highlight the importance of pollinators and their critical role in our environment and their lasting impact. This years parking day theme will show how we can make a difference by providing small/manageable opportunities for our amazing pollinators.

We are very excited for this upcoming event and want invite everyone to think about how you can make an impact in your own way AND to come celebrate with us at PARK(ING) DAY!!!

Look out on social media for more information!!!

Platinum Sponsor Article

Come see for yourself!

PIKUS TOUR - Lunch & Learn 1 CEU Approved - 3-D Poly Grout Thursday, October 5th, 2:30pm - 4:30pm Pikus 3D Lab - 9573 S 6400 W, West Jordan REGISTER HERE (Space limited to 18)

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

Click here to become a 2024 ASLA Utah Sponsor or Partner!

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

Corporate Partners
MHTN | Io LandArch | SGLA Technical Training

Learn More About Our Sponsors

ASLA UTAH JUNE/JULY NEWSLETTER

July 25, 2023 by ASLA Utah

ASLA UTAH JUNE/JULY 2023 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

**REMEMBER to VOTE!** ASLA UT Executive Committee Elections *Voting closes 6pm, Friday, August 25, 2023* **VOTE HERE**

**Hunter/FX Luminaire Lunch & Learn** Tuesday August 15th, 12:00pm - 1:00pm ASLA UT Offices, 280 S 400 W, Suite 150, 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**
**2023 Southern Utah Green Conference** Wednesday, November 1st, 8:30am – 4:20pm Dixie Convention Center, St. George. **REGISTER HERE**

Just in case you need a justification for your recent lethargic behavior: According to Wikipedia: The Dog Days of Summer are the hot, sultry days of summer from July 3 to August 15th. They were historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius (known colloquially as the "Dog Star"), which Hellenistic astrology connected with heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs, and bad luck. They are now taken to be the hottest, most uncomfortable part of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

So put your shorts and flip flops on, grab your favorite cool beverage and plop down for a nap in the shade. If your tongue hangs out while you sleep, no worries, you’re just fully embracing your inner canine during the Dog Days of Summer.

Leadership Express

Jake Powell, ASLA Utah President

ELECTION TIME - 2023 ASLA Utah Executive Committee Nominees

Voting closes 6pm, Friday, August 25, 2023

WRITE IN CANDIDATES ALLOWED

click here to vote

VP OF VISIBILITY & PUBLIC AFFAIRS

2023 Call for Presentations

This is an exciting opportunity to submit a presentation proposal for the Climate Summit this fall Cohosted by the Idaho Montana and Utah Chapter!

The Summit is September 21st from 1:00pm to 5:00pm Mountain Time. Please see the attached template as well as a populated version for your reference. Submissions are due via email by August 14th, 2023.

Please contact Brent Jacobsen, jacobsen.brent@gmail.com or Chad Lorentzen , clorentzen@thelandgroupinc.com for the submission template & any other questions.

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

Click here to become a 2024 ASLA Utah Sponsor or Partner!

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 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**

BELGARD 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!

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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