ASLA Launches Congressional Partnership Program
The program will raise awareness of landscape architecture among policy makers.

The continued growth and visibility of the profession and ASLA offer exciting new opportunities to educate Americans about landscape architecture and to make our communities better and more sustainable places in which to live. Much of the work landscape architects do every day directly and indirectly shapes public policy in many areas including transportation, security of public buildings, water management, and hazard mitigation, and they are advocates for sustainable development, conservation, and broad-based public participation.

As part of ASLA's broader efforts to support advocacy, the society has created the Congressional Fellows Program, which will bring together landscape architects and members of Congress in their district offices. This opportunity is open to landscape architects of any age or level of experience—from students to midcareer professionals and retirees—who can dedicate the time for this short-term fellowship. The goals of the program are twofold: First, it will raise awareness among policy makers of the range of expertise landscape architects have. Second, it will begin to build longer-term relationships between landscape architects and elected officials at the community and national levels.

As a Congressional Fellow, an ASLA member will volunteer in the district office of a U.S. Representative for several hours per week over three to six months.

As a Congressional Fellow, an ASLA member will volunteer in the district office of a U.S. Representative for several hours per week over three to six months. Depending on the needs of the office and the expertise of a particular Congressional Fellow, he or she could perform a range of duties, including attending community meetings, serving as a liaison with constituents, and drafting correspondence. In addition to helping the office to provide quality service to constituents, the Congressional Fellow will gain a better understanding about how an office functions, the issues that are important to it, and the factors that influence key decisions.

Engagement at the district level will pay dividends locally and nationally. When relevant issues arise in the communities they represent, some members of Congress may solicit input and technical advice to inform their decision making. If members of Congress and their staff are more aware of the range of skills and expertise held by landscape architects, they will be more likely to seek out ASLA as a resource on key issues.

The benefits accrue on a broader level because most representatives view at least some national issues through a local prism. As more members of Congress are made aware of local examples of effective or poorly planned security design, or as they learn why, for example, a historic landscape in their community is significant and at-risk, they may view those national issues in a different context. Over time and with a lot of hard work (plus a good deal of luck), these perspectives enter and possibly influence policy making at the national level.

Earlier this month, a letter was sent to more than 200 U.S. representatives announcing the ASLA Congressional Fellows initiative. Because the program is new, ASLA made a conscious decision to launch it as a pilot effort targeting a subset of all 435 members of Congress. This approach makes the overall effort more manageable and will allow ASLA to refine the program based on the experiences of participants and then to expand it nationwide.

Over the coming weeks, ASLA Government Affairs staff and the Government Affairs Advisory Committee will be working with chapters in the targeted region to identify interested members and link them with interested offices.

No matter where you live, if you have an interest in this program, please contact Scott Kovarovics at skovarovics@asla.org for more information.