In a letter to congressional leadership, ASLA expresses deep concern over the ongoing federal government shutdown — the longest in U.S. history — and its growing consequences for public servants and communities nationwide. ASLA emphasizes that federal landscape architects play a critical role in designing, managing, and preserving public spaces that strengthen communities and safeguard natural systems
The shutdown has forced many of these professionals into furlough, stalled critical projects that maintain national parks and infrastructure, and disrupted collaborations with state, local, and private partners. It has also placed small landscape architecture firms and contractors at risk, with nearly $3 billion a week in federal small-business contracts jeopardized, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
ASLA urges Congress to act swiftly to restore stability to the federal workforce, resume essential operations, and reaffirm the nation’s commitment to caring for its public lands and communities.
Download: ASLA Letter to Congress on the Federal Government Shutdown (November 2025)