Professional Practice

The Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) Chapter Liaisons are ASLA volunteers appointed by their chapter presidents who provide technical and other types of assistance to carry out the mission of the HALS program.

Typically, each ASLA chapter has one HALS Liaison. Chapters that serve multiple states should have one liaison per state. Assisted by the HALS coordinator, chapter presidents choose a liaison from a pool of volunteer applicants. Applicants must be full, associate, or affiliate members of ASLA. HALS Liaisons may serve for an unspecified term.

HALS Liaisons' responsibilities include:

• Creating and updating lists of local examples of significant historical landscapes
• Coordinating HALS activities with your State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO)
• Advising on the review and revision of state and local historic preservation laws with the aim of including historic landscape documentation
• Leading advocacy efforts in Congress for funding for HALS
• Enlisting donations to the HALS/HABS/HAER fund
• Promoting public awareness of HALS and historic landscapes
• Continuously seeking out opportunities for local documentation projects

Interested in Getting More Involved?

What to do next:

1. Check if your chapter and/or state already has a HALS Liaison, and contact them for more information on how you can get involved.
2. If your chapter’s HALS Liaison position is vacant, considering volunteering for the role yourself!
3. Contact Helen Erickson, ASLA, HALS Subcommittee Chair/HALS Coordinator, with any HALS questions or to get started as a HALS Chapter Liaison. Contact Scott Keyes, Chief, Heritage Documentation Programs, National Park Service, with any HALS Challenge or documentation questions.
4. Once you are on board as your chapter's HALS Liaison, contact your chapter president to let them know you've taken on this role.

See the ASLA HALS Guidelines for more information about the HALS liaisons, the HALS coordinator, and the HALS subcommittee.