Landscape architects meet in Big Sky Country
Montana legislature to take up licensure issues in 2007.

Montana landscape architects convened for a strategy meeting on November 18 to prepare for upcoming legislation in the 2007 legislative session. The legislative activity falls in the wake of the financial crisis for the Board of Landscape Architects, a stand-alone board that has not been able to be self-funded without a drastic increase in the annual licensing fee. The situation was generated when the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) recalculated the overhead costs assigned to each board in 2004, dramatically increasing the budget of the Board of Landscape Architects. Consequently, the board did not meet its revenue targets with the June 2005 renewal cycle and the state shut down operations of the board.

Since 2004, ASLA has been seeking alternatives that would reduce the cost of the licensure program in Montana and resume operations of the Board. This has been a multi-pronged approach that includes two main elements: (1) working with the DLI to ensure that it fairly and accurately determines the cost associated with running the licensure program; and (2) developing legislation to combine the boards that regulate landscape architecture and architecture into one entity. The second area was the main focus of the recent meeting.

In preparing for an active legislative season, the chapter developed a plan for reaching out to state legislators on this issue. Among the important themes expected to be covered during the effort:

• Licensure of landscape architects is critical to the protection of the public health, safety and welfare.
• The legislation will reduce the cost of managing licensure for landscape architects, primarily by eliminating stand-alone meetings of the Board.
• Adding two landscape architects to the Board of Architects will not increase the licensing fees for architects in Montana. The DLI will continue to allocate the expenses separately.

The Montana legislature convenes on January 3, 2007. Thanks to all of you who attended the meeting and sacrificed watching the annual Grizz-Cats football game for the greater good of the profession.