ASLA Advocacy Network Helps Members Shape the Political Landscape
By working together and speaking with one voice, landscape architects can leverage their numbers and expertise to positively affect public policy from Washington, D.C.

Keys to Accessing and Using the ASLA Advocacy Network Every member of ASLA is already subscribed to the Advocacy Network. Log on to the Advocacy Network and follow instructions on the home page to complete your personal profile. On the profile page, save time by entering your email address below the address fields where it reads “If you are already signed up…” This will auto-populate some of those fields. Entering information here will not affect your ASLA membership information or how you receive other ASLA publications. Entering your home address is essential to ensuring that your communications reach your federal and state legislators. Your home address identifies you as a constituent. Put the Advocacy Network on your spam filter’s “safe list” to ensure you receive future action alerts and updates.

By working together and speaking with one voice, landscape architects can leverage their numbers and expertise to positively affect public policy from Washington, D.C., to state capitols to town halls nationwide. ASLA is working to provide a range of tools designed to make advocacy easier, faster, and more effective.

The newest service is the ASLA Advocacy Network, which ASLA was proud to introduce during the 2006 Annual Meeting and EXPO. This online system is designed to help members shape the political landscape by offering a user-friendly tool to communicate with policy makers, gather and provide information, and to mobilize members around issues important to the profession. Using the ASLA Advocacy Network, you can:

• Contact elected leaders and policy makers at the federal, state, and local levels using talking points, draft emails and letters, and background information about issues provided by ASLA.

• Access background about and contact information for elected officials, state governments, and federal agencies.

• Track legislation introduced in the U.S. Congress and all 50 states.

• Find print and broadcast media contacts in local markets nationwide.

The ASLA Advocacy Network will allow the Society to directly communicate with you about developments in Washington, D.C., and your state that could affect your practice and provide members with options to quickly take action. It’s a powerful new tool for chapters too, especially when licensure campaigns heat up. Most importantly, it provides a way for landscape architects to speak with one voice on issues that are important to the profession.

The first step to make your voice heard is to ensure that the ASLA Advocacy Network accurately links you to your federal and state representatives. This is particularly important at the federal level, where members of Congress focus first and foremost on inquiries from their constituents. You can do this by updating your personal profile to include your home address. By taking this simple step, you can ensure that your messages will reach the intended targets.

Visit www.asla.org/advocacynetwork/ to log on and learn more. Explore the ASLA Advocacy Network today so you’ll be prepared to take action in the future.