ASLA Continues Work on Gulf Coast Disaster Response
Staff and Leaders Meet with FEMA in Louisiana.

On December 19, Federal Government Affairs Manager Scott Kovarovics and Louisiana Trustee Chad Danos, ASLA, participated in a meeting in Baton Rouge with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA). Other participants included the American Planning Association, American Institute of Architects, American Society of Civil Engineers, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Urban Land Institute. The purpose of the meeting was to begin discussing how these organizations and others can help FEMA and the LRA develop and implement a strategy for long-term community recovery.

ASLA to Develop Hazard Mitigation Policy Recommendations
In mid-December, ASLA members from the Gulf region and across the country with expertise in coastal and wetland restoration, hydrology, site remediation, and disaster response and preparation came together to discuss how ASLA could develop and disseminate specific policy recommendations concerning these areas of expertise. Our goal is to have draft recommendations ready by the end of January.

The new transportation law enacted by Congress last summer establishes and funds the Safe Routes to Schools program, which was one of ASLA's top priorities during the reauthorization process

ASLA Joins Safe Routes to Schools Partnership
The new transportation law enacted by Congress last summer establishes and funds the Safe Routes to Schools program, which was one of ASLA’s top priorities during the reauthorization process. This program is designed to encourage local communities to make walking and bicycling to elementary and middle schools more attractive to children, parents, school administrators, and transportation officials by providing funding for infrastructure projects and educational activities as well as information about best practices and effective techniques for program implementation. The new law provides $612 million over five years to states; it requires each state that receives funds to appoint a full-time Safe Routes to Schools coordinator to administer the program. Last week, the Federal Highway Administration issued guidance to states concerning implementation, along with a list of state coordinators appointed to date. Both are available here.

Because of the role landscape architects can and will play in designing Safe Routes to Schools projects, ASLA recently joined the Safe Routes to Schools National Partnership. The partnership’s primary goal is to support the development and implementation of Safe Routes to Schools programs nationwide. The partnership recognizes that success depends on a multidisciplinary approach involving education and outreach, law enforcement, engineering and design, and evaluation. Members of the partnership agree to share information and work together to develop strategies designed to raise awareness about the program itself and, more important, about the many health and quality-of-life benefits associated with encouraging more children to walk and bike to school using safe and accessible trails and pathways.