Julia M. Lent Manager, State Government Affairs   With three weeks to go before we kick off the 2001 Licensure Summit on November 2, we are excited to announce that 56 eager individuals have signed up to be a part of the inaugural event. More than 30 of ASLA's Chapters will be involved, including representatives from 40 states. Leadership from ASLA, CLARB, and CELA will also participate. The meeting will begin with a reception on Friday, November 2. There, Summiteers will have the opportunity to meet and renew acquaintance. On Saturday, we will get down to business at 8:30 a.m., tackling an aggressive agenda that dissects various aspects of licensure-from its impact on the profession (and professionals) to the process involved in advocating licensure through the legislative process. Finally, the summit will wrap up on Sunday morning with a focus on the tools and resources necessary for advocating practice acts in the states. Throughout 2001, ASLA has renewed its commitment to promoting licensure through the 50 by 2010 program and growing partnerships with CLARB and CELA. These efforts will culminate in the Licensure Summit during which research will be shared, networks strengthened, and ideas exchanged. It may be the close of the 2001 licensure work, but in truth, it is just a beginning of a program that will support the enactment of strong practice acts in every state. Questions about licensure? Email Julia Lent, ASLA's manager of state government affairs jlent@alsa.org ASLA Attends Briefing on WTC and Pentagon Recovery Efforts posted 9/28 On September 21, PR Manager Beth Young and State Government Affairs Manager Julia Lent represented ASLA at a briefing convened by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for representatives of the design and construction professions. The Chief of Engineers, LTG Bob Flowers, led the briefing on the recovery efforts at the World Trade Center and Pentagon disaster sites. In New York, the Corps played a significant role in the evacuation efforts on September 11. In subsequent days, the Corps and FEMA have served a supporting role for local efforts. LTG Flowers commended the City of New York for its organization of the rescue and recovery efforts. Beyond the rescue and recovery effort, several issues will pose challenges as the cleanup continues. When the crews reach the substructure of the WTC complex, more than 5,000 vehicles (with full gasoline tanks) must be removed from the parking garages. Unfortunately, it is likely the substructure has been damaged by the collapse, and it is believed that the debris is currently suporting some of the "bathtub walls" that keep the water from entering the substructure and transportation tunnels. In New Jersey, the subway tunnels already have six inches of water as a result of the disaster. The Corps also mobilized its power, ice, and potable water teams to Manhattan to help with the recovery. The power team worked tirelessly to get the New York Stock Exchange up and running by September 17. At the Pentagon, Mike Sullivan of the Pentagon Renovation Office (Pen-Ren) and several representatives from the Corps explained, the nearly-completed renovation work on a segment of the building minimized the damage from the attack. Also, personnel had already begun to move out of the second segment of the building to be renovated. The plane struck the building at the intersection of the two segments, or "wedges." Steel reinforcement of the outer wall, which was necessary to install the heavy safety windows, helped keep the structure from collapsing quickly and is credited with giving numerous people the opportunity to escape. The windows were only one aspect of the force protection measures installed in the first wedge of the Pentagon. Material similar to Kevlar lined the inner part of the outside wall, protecting occupants from flying masonry fragments. Structural reinforcement was also added. Even the second wedge performed well. Engineers marveled that areas that had lost several support pillars were still standing. The cleanup and reconstruction of the Pentagon will move ahead under the direction of Pen-Ren. The renovation operation will also continue, but adjustments will be made to keep as many personnel in their offices as possible, given the large area that is not habitable at this time and the mobilization efforts at the Pentagon in the war against terrorism. The underlying purpose for the workshop was to provide a starting point for a year of increased security need during which the design/build professions will provide ideas and strategies for mobilization, structural analysis, retrofit, and new design projects. Industry and agency representatives will work together to pool collective resources and technologies from their respective memberships culminating in a symposium planned for September 11, 2002. ASLA will be involved in this initiative throughout the year.

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