Lobby Day 2006—Success Today, Building for Tomorrow
ASLA Lobby Day draws attention to security design, hazard mitigation, and the Congressional Fellows Program.

On May 4, more than 140 Trustees, Chapter Presidents, Presidents-elect, students, and other ASLA leaders from across the country had 172 meetings with senators, representatives, and their staffs during Lobby Day 2006. ASLA members from 47 states traveled to Washington to brief federal officials about security design, hazard mitigation, and our Congressional Fellows program. The total number of meetings is equal to the number last year when ASLA partnered with the American Planning Association, and the number of states represented is greater than in previous years.

A few common themes emerged from the meetings based on initial feedback provided by the participants. Many offices were very interested to learn about the role landscape architects play in security design. In some cases, the staff was a bit skeptical at first. However, after explaining the experience, training, and skills landscape architects have in this area, staff members understood and, more importantly, gained a greater appreciation of the breadth of the profession. Many offices also expressed interest in learning more about what ASLA believes can be done to improve security design. ASLA staff and members with expertise in this area will be following up with offices in the weeks ahead to provide additional information and explore how some of those offices might partner with ASLA to develop and implement a legislative agenda on this issue. In addition, several offices expressed interest in the Congressional Fellows program and asked for more information about how the expertise held by landscape architects can be harnessed to help them address important public policy issues in their states.

Several offices expressed interest in the Congressional Fellows program and asked for more information about how the expertise held by landscape architects can be harnessed to help them address important public policy issues in their states.

Lobby Day is just one part of a more comprehensive approach to advocacy. This year was a huge success and offers a solid foundation on which to build. Every member of ASLA can play a role in expanding advocacy and outreach. Here are some of the things that you can do over the months ahead:

• Invite your representative and senators to visit one of your projects or sites. Believe it or not, most members of Congress like to get out of their offices and see things in the community. Inviting them to visit a local project is a great way to educate them about what landscape architects do. Public projects are likely to be especially relevant to them and will allow you to showcase the contributions landscape architects are making to our communities.

• Request a meeting with your representative or senators in their local or state office. These meetings are just as effective as traveling to Washington and allow many more ASLA members to participate. In addition to discussing national issues, highlight local issues important to you as well as community projects.

• Ask your member of Congress to write a piece for your chapter newsletter. Members of Congress are frequently looking for new opportunities to communicate with constituents and segments of the public. You might start by visiting their websites to learn more about the issues particularly important to them. Then, contact the office, ask to speak to the press secretary, and invite the member to write about one of those topics that you believe would also be of interest to your membership. This approach might produce better results than asking the office to write about an entirely new issue because it is likely to already have material prepared on priority issues.

These and other advocacy efforts help to build relationships, raise awareness about the profession, and increase opportunities for landscape architects to help shape public policy. Working together, we can build on the success of Lobby Day 2006 and grow our advocacy efforts in the future.

ASLA leadership conducted 172 meetings with senators, representatives, and their staffs during Lobby Day 2006. In the last photo, representatives from NJASLA (right to left) President NJASLA Jeffrey A. Tandul, CLA, ASLA, M.Arch., Bruce Davies, ASLA, Trustee NJASLA, Jack Carman, FASLA met on Capitol Hill with senators and representative from the state of New Jersey in Washington, DC. (Photos 1 and 2 by Mike Heacox, ASLA. Photo 3 by Jeffrey A. Tandul, ASLA.)