Leaders Express - April 2026

May 2026

Highlights

Government Affairs – General

• Register Now for ASLA Virtual Advocacy Day on July 22. Join your colleagues for virtual meetings with congressional offices to advocate for issues important to the profession. This is a valuable opportunity to elevate the voice of the profession and ensure that landscape architects are represented in critical policy conversations—all from the convenience of a virtual format. Registration is NOW OPEN. Complimentary to ASLA members, ASLA's Virtual Advocacy Day takes you from design to action—giving you the tools to connect your expertise to real policy impact:
  • Meet: Two meetings with congressional offices supported by a centralized platform for schedules, materials, and updates.
  • Prepare: Two targeted advocacy trainings to refine your message and build confidence.
  • Advance: Two priority issues with ready-to-use advocacy toolkits, including talking points and leave-behinds.

State Government Affairs

• State Legislative Sessions: As of May 15, 20 states remain in regular legislative session, and ASLA is currently tracking over 83 legislative proposals nationwide. Members and chapters can follow occupational licensure legislation on our tracking webpage or view this May report (PDF). Over the past month, the State Government Affairs team has worked closely with multiple chapters and partners to address legislative activity impacting the profession, including:
  • Illinois: Sunset Renewal: SB 3897 received an affirmative vote in the House Labor and Commerce Committee hearing on May 6 and was placed on the House Calendar for Second Reading (Short Debate) on May 7. The State GA team will continue to coordinate with the Chapter as it advances to floor consideration.
  • Hawaii: Uniform Standard: SB 2607 unanimously passed out of conference committee on April 29 and received its final reading and Senate passage on May 6. The bill awaits Governor Green’s signature, and he has a 45-day window to consider and sign the legislation. The State Government Affairs team helped the chapter draft letters of support to conferees and Governor Green. Our team also supported the Chapter by launching an iAdvocate campaign encouraging the Governor’s signature.
  • Alaska Board Reauthorization: The Government Affairs team is closely monitoring HB 314, which had a Senate Finance Committee hearing on May 12. The Finance Committee favorably approved the bill with a vote of 4-3. The bill was subsequently referred to by the Senate Rules Committee, and the team will continue to follow developments and engage with stakeholders as needed.
• WLAM Advocacy Recap: ASLA supported a total of nine chapter requests for World Landscape Architecture Month resolutions/proclamations this year, with six chapters successfully securing official state and local resolutions. Our team encourages chapters to continue to actively seek resolutions and proclamations, over the coming months, in celebration of the profession.
• Public Policies: At the Spring BOT meeting, Trustees adopted an updated Rural Landscape public policy. The Policy Committee spent a considerable amount of time over the last 10-12 months refining the updated Rural Landscape policy.

Federal Government Affairs

• WISE Act Campaign: ASLA successfully worked with U.S. Representatives Nikema Williams (GA) and Emilia Strong Skyes (OH) to reintroduced the Water Infrastructure Sustainability and Efficiency (WISE) Act, legislation that would permanently dedicate 20 percent of Clean Water State Revolving Fund resources to environmentally beneficial projects, including nature-based solutions, water efficiency, and innovative stormwater management. Government Affairs also launched an active iAdvocate Network campaign to build congressional support for the bill.
• Active Transportation Campaign: ASLA Government Affairs team continues to promote and advance the importance of active transportation projects and policies to communities across the nation.
  • Chapter Letters: The team worked with several chapters in sending chapter letters to targeted congressional transportation leaders, including the Prairie Gateway, North Carolina, Washington, Rhode Island, Nebraska-Dakotas, and Maryland Chapters. These chapters wrote to House and Senate transportation committee leaders about the importance of including bicycle, pedestrian, and trails projects in the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill.
  • Bike Tour: On Earth Day, the Government Affairs (GA) team participated in ASLA’s DC Climate Week Bike Tour of Active Transportation projects. Co-hosted with Toole Design, the tour highlighted the importance of landscape architecture led design and planning of bike/ped and trails projects. The GA team promoted the iAdvocate Network campaign to send messages to federal legislators urging support for the Transportation Alternatives program in the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization measure.
  • Take Action for Bike-Ped Projects: ASLA Government Affairs encourages all members to Take Action and contact their federal legislators about the importance of continuing bicycle, pedestrian, and trails projects in the upcoming surface transportation bill.
• ASLA submits Public Witness Testimony to House Appropriations Committee: ASLA’s FY27 public witness testimony submitted to the House Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee urged full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, $3.25 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, and at least $50 million for the Urban and Community Forestry Program. These investments support water infrastructure, parks and green space, urban tree canopy, and climate resilience. Government Affairs is preparing to submit similar testimony to the Senate Interior Subcommittee in the coming weeks.
• BLM Conservation & Landscape Health Rule Update: On May 11, the Bureau of Land Management officially rescinded the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, commonly known as the Public Lands Rule, with the repeal set to take effect on June 11. The rule provided a framework for considering conservation and landscape health as part of BLM’s broader multiple-use mission. In November 2025, ASLA submitted public comments opposing the proposal and reinforcing the importance of strong, science-based protections for public lands.
• NPS Strategic Visioning Partners Session: ASLA participated in a strategic visioning partners session hosted by the National Park Service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund Competitive Programs staff. The discussion focused on strengthening partner collaboration, expanding access to outdoor recreation, and improving engagement with applicants and communities. The session supports ASLA’s continued work to advance LWCF investments and elevate the role of landscape architects in community-centered conservation and recreation projects.
• ASLA Government Affairs continues to be an active member in several coalitions, including the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Coalition, National Complete Streets Coalition, Transportation for America (T4A) Policy Group, National Parks Second Century Action Coalition, Sustainable Urban Forest Coalition, Percent for Place, Outdoor Alliance for Kids, and others. Also, ASLA leads the Green Infrastructure Working Group, which focuses on policies to advance the use of green infrastructure.

• The ASLA Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee’s Biodiversity & Climate Action 101 for Landscape Architects webinar series, underwritten by Landscape Forms and free for members, explores innovative strategies for decarbonization, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience.
  • Recent Event: The Biodiversity Primer: Designing for Net-Positive Biodiversity Impacts — This April 21 presentation focused on the work of the committee’s Biodiversity Subcommittee and the Biodiversity Primer for Landscape Architects: Essential Knowledge to Inform Meaningful Action.
  • Upcoming Event: Small Landscape Architecture Firms Take Action on Climate & Biodiversity — The next webinar, scheduled for May 28, features Aida Curtis, FASLA, Curtis + Rogers Design Studio; Emily Dunaway, ASLA, Dana Brown & Associates; and Chelsea Gieryic, Living Cities Studio. Speakers will focus on how small firms can be strategic and prioritize climate & biodiversity action in their work with clients, vendors, and local communities. For more information and to register for the 2026 series, visit learn.asla.org.
• ASLA has renewed its partnership with the National Indian Carbon Coalition (NICC) to offset greenhouse gas emissions from its ASLA 2026 Conference on Landscape Architecture. This year, positive climate contributions from ASLA members will support the Blackfeet Nation in Montana.
• The ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action and communications teams have developed a new social media campaign focused on design strategies that bring climate and biodiversity solutions together in an equitable way. The campaign will include more than 15 posts over the next six weeks.
• ASLA celebrated DC Climate Week by hosting an immersive bike tour led by experts from Toole Design and the District Department of Transportation. The tour showcased how Washington, D.C., ranked among the top 10 U.S. cities for bike infrastructure, uses innovative bikeway design to reduce emissions, improve safety, and enhance community well-being. Joined by ASLA staff and leaders from the Washington Area Bicycle Association (WABA), the Rails to Trails Conservancy, and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), participants explored firsthand the complexities of urban street design and how landscape architecture equitably expands access to sustainable transportation.
• ASLA Programs, Government Affairs, and Resource Development teams joined the National Park Service (NPS) for a day-long strategic planning meeting on how to better align and support NPS’s competitive grant programs. ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Committee leader Jose de Jesus Leal, FASLA, and Paul Fragua, Affil. ASLA, also joined the discussions. Other participating organizations included the Trust for Public Land, City Parks Alliance, and Landscape Architecture Foundation.
• ASLA has applied to be an official observer to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity COP17, which will held in October in Armenia. ASLA should receive a notification if we are accepted by this summer.
• Molly Morgan, Texas state director for the Trust for Public Land, contributed an op-ed to The Dirt on nature-based solutions to flooding.

• Nine of 10 Professional Practice Network (PPN) Chairs are now onboarded and working on their first charge — developing a 30-second pitch to recruit new members — with membership rollout planned for June. As part of the PPN redesign, a new Leadership Delegate (LD) tier has been established with 5–7 Delegates per PPN serving one-year terms to lead projects, moderate sessions, and drive key deliverables alongside the Chair, and recruitment for these roles is already well underway with an overwhelmingly positive response.
• Upcoming ASLA Online Learning events, all free for ASLA members and offering 1.0 PDH (LA CES):
  • Alone Together: How to Design for Connection in Today’s Solitary Times —May 19, 2 pm ET
  • Rural Commons: Designing for Resilient Climate Futures — May 21, 2 pm ET
  • Inclusive Playgrounds: Designing Spaces to Bring Children & Communities Together —June 3, 1 pm ET
  • Lines Divide – Parks Unite: Rewriting the Map – How Parks are Healing Denver’s Historic Inequities — June 10, 1 pm ET.
• Since 2010, ASLA has collaborated with the National Park Service to support the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) Challenge, a competition to document historic landscapes that tell the stories of our nation. This year, the ASLA HALS Leadership Team is calling on members, students, historians, and other practitioners to submit documentation of historic landscapes in our communities through a call to action for the United States' 250th anniversary. On June 4, the HALS Leadership Team is hosting a free webinar on how to prepare a HALS report, from selecting a site to the writing process and the logistics of working with a team.
• The ASLA SKILL | ED Firm Leadership Accelerator launched in April with 30 participants in its inaugural cohort. ASLA’s newest cohort-based program is a six-month intensive designed to strengthen leadership capacity within landscape architecture firms while building a peer network for shared learning, accountability, and real-world problem solving. Through focused training in business operations, financial literacy, and firm leadership, participants gain the practical knowledge and mentorship needed to buy into an existing firm or launch their own practice.
• On May 5, the ASLA Associate Advisory Commitee & Student Advisory Committee co-hosted “Navigating Your Career,” a dynamic town hall with ASLA President Brad McCauley. The session focused on the critical transition from entry-level roles to project management, covering everything from navigating career pathways to meeting workplace expectations.

• Registration is now open for the ASLA 2026 Conference on Landscape Architecture in Los Angeles, September 16-18! ASLA members receive discounted pricing, and registering by June 15 secures the Early Bird rate, a savings of up to $189. You can find full registration details, including rates and deadlines, at aslaconference.com.
• This year’s conference features 109 education sessions and 24 field sessions across seven education tracks. The program offers in-depth learning on resilience, design innovation, ecology, firm leadership, project delivery, and emerging trends, while field sessions provide firsthand exposure to notable landscapes and projects across Los Angeles.

• The ASLA Fund has launched the implementation phase for the Greening Communities with Landscape Advisory Panels (LAPs) program following a $75,000 contribution from Honda. Efforts are currently focused on identifying 5-6 priority community sites and building a roster of pro bono design experts for 2026. Leadership and staff are encouraged to refer potential underserved community partners or firm volunteers to Judy Mehlman via the online referral form.
• The Founders Club is holding its next Founders Club Town Hall on June 11. Join today and be part of the club! Join for as little as $18.99/month.
• The ASLA Fund will be hosting the Annual ASLA Fund Founders Club Reception in Los Angeles in September.
• The ASLA Fund continues to submit grants and proposals for our current programs, as well as new pilot programs.
• The ASLA Fund Advisory Council continues to meet monthly to advance the Fund’s mission. Invitations have been sent to individuals to increase membership to twelve members.

Social Media

• April was driven by strong participation in World Landscape Architecture Month (WLAM) across ASLA’s social media channels. Total audience reached 335,488 as of April 30, with net audience growth of 1,973. Across platforms, ASLA generated 504,072 impressions, 28,627 engagements, and 15,660 post link clicks, with an overall engagement rate of 5.7 percent. Nearly 400 social media posts on April 1, in observance of Professional Landscape Architects (PLA) Day, helped launch the month and reinforced the message that licensure protects the public and strengthens the profession. In May, communications efforts will shift to continued promotion of the ASLA 2026 Conference on Landscape Architecture and the rollout of the Landscape Architecture 2040: ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan campaign, highlighting how landscape architects are using the plan and its tools in practice to advance climate and biodiversity action together.

Honors and Awards

• ASLA Honors: The 2026 Honors were selected with a recipient selected in each category by the ASLA Board of Trustees. Nominees have been verbally notified with official letters being prepared. The official announcement will be released in middle to late June.
• The 2026 Council of Fellows was announced earlier this week in LAND. They will be inducted at the annual meeting in Los Angeles in September.
• The Outstanding Service Awards, Bradford Williams Medals, and new this year is the LAAB Outstanding Service Award are all now with the juries for selections of recipients and will be announced with the ASLA Honors in middle to late June.
• ASLA Professional Awards: The 2026 Professional Awards juries completed their decisions by selecting a total of 35 projects from across all categories. All winners have been notified of the good news. They will be recognized during the annual conference on September 16.
• ASLA Student Awards: The registration period closed Sunday, May 10, with a total of 515 registered, and 405 submissions now with the jury for judging.

LAM Online Traffic Data: (April 15-May 13)

Top 3 Posts:

1. Your Mileage May Vary by David Tobenkin; April 22; 324 views
2. Growing Pains by Timothy A. Schuler; April 8; 198 views
3. The Year of Doing Less with Less by Bradford McKee; May 6; 189 views

• Total Views: 4,093 (down 68% from the previous month): 12,882
• Views of main LAM web page: 1,180 (down 55% from the previous month): 2,607
• Total active users: 1,344 (down 80% from the previous month): 6,828
• Total new users: 1,179 (down 81% from the previous month): 6,246
• Returning users: 399 (down 55% from the previous month): 886

Percentage comparisons from a year earlier:

• Total Views: down 79%
• Views of main LAM web page: down 72%
• Total active users: down 86%
• Total new users: down 87%
• Returning users: down 75%

Data about The Landscape Report:

* May include Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) opens and bot clicks

• ASLA announced 2026 Design Academy for K-12 Educators scheduled for July 12-16. The academy will include a blend of information sessions, site visits, and lesson planning activities for educators seeking to integrate landscape architecture, environmental design, sustainability, and place-based education into their curriculum. Over 50 educators representing 19 states have registered to participate.
• ASLA partnered with the American Institute of Architects to co-develop the Plug and Play Toolkit for Classroom Activities web resource during AIA Education Week, which featured Career Discovery resources. Notable recognition includes ASLA’s call-out among AIA partners in The Architect’s Newspaper and Governor Wes Moore’s proclamation of April 12–18, 2026 as Architecture Week in the State of Maryland. According to the AIA, the co-branded toolkit received 8,094 views.
• The ASLA Graduating Student Survey launched in April and will remain open through May 30. Each year, ASLA surveys graduating student members to better understand their post-graduation plans and publishes aggregated results. The 2025 Graduating Student Survey is available on the ASLA website.
• On April 22, Earth Day, “Words of Wisdom for Our 2026 Landscape Architecture Graduates” was published in The Field. Each year, the ASLA Student Support and Engagement Committee gathers insights and advice to share with graduating student members as they transition from academic life to professional practice, reinforcing that ASLA supports them at every stage of their landscape architecture journey.
• To celebrate graduating student members, ASLA provided student members graduating in 2026 with a graduation chord and a letter of congratulations from ASLA CEO Torey Carter-Conneen, Hon. ASLA. These cords are intended to be worn with cap and gown during commencement ceremonies as a symbol of ASLA pride.
• On April 30,ASLA hosted the first 2026 Spark Talk for Students “Navigating Post-College Life” offering students the opportunity to hear from two emerging professionals about finding a job, relocating across the country, changing firms, and engaging with ASLA at the local and national levels. Chloe Gillespie, Associate ASLA, and Rutusha Nagaraj, ASLA—chair and member, respectively, of the ASLA Student Support and Engagement Committee—shared their experiences and answered questions from attendees. The recording was distributed to student members.
• On April 23, a kickoff meeting forLABash2027 was held. Student leaders and faculty from Arizona State University (LABash2027 host) met with student leaders from The Ohio State University (LABash2026 host), along with ASLA professional advisors, to formally begin planning for the 2027 conference in Tempe, AZ, scheduled for Spring 2027.
• To support the University of Cincinnati’s MLA program, ASLA amplified a sign-on letter through an iAdvocate alert urging university leadership to unpause the MLA program, which generated more than 840 signatures. ASLA staff have also been meeting regularly with program leadership, alumni, and OH ASLA chapter leaders to provide ongoing support.

• Chapter Presidents Council (CPC) Chair Sarah Boyer, ASLA, and CPC Chair-Elect Garett Munch, ASLA, hosted the Spring CPC meeting,  April 30 and May 1. Over the two days,68-chapterleaders attended, representing 38 chapters. The meeting included a panel discussion on chapter support, Basecamp utilization demonstrations, chapter archiving presentations, a walkthrough of the new COW, and opportunities for chapter sharing.
• The ASLA Finance team hosted a chapter treasurers town hall on May 12, with 23 chapter leaders attending, representing 21chapters. The discussion topics included 990 submissions, insurance, and support needs.
• CEO Carter-Conneen will also be the keynote speaker at the Southeast Regional Conference, June 4-5, which will be hosted by the North Carolina Chapter. 

• President McCauley was the keynote speaker at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign convocation for graduating landscape architecture students on May 17.President McCauley was the first in-person graduation since the pandemic. He was thrilled to be returning to his alma mater to speak to the students. Each year, the sitting ASLA president speaks at the university’s graduation. 
• President McCauley was also the keynote speaker at the University of Nevada School of Architecture in April. Also in April, he also was the keynote at West Virginia University in Morgantown.
• Both President McCauley and CEO Torey Carter-Conneen, Hon. ASLA, will be representing ASLA at the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects the first week of June.
• President-Elect Gretchen Wilson, FASLA, participated in the Northern California Chapter’s award ceremony in Oakland on April 23. 
• Past President Kona Gray was the keynote speaker at the Vermont Chapter the last week of April.
• CEO Torey Carter-Conneen, Hon. ASLA, participated in the Urban Land Institute’s conference in Nashville recently. Also during the conference, CEO Carter-Conneen participated in the Redevelop and Reuse Council’s activities. The council’s interests are brownfield and Greyfield redevelopment, historic preservation and rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse and repositioning of existing buildings, among other things. 

• May 26: ASLA’s Federal and State Legislative Priorities Survey deadline
• July 22: ASLA Virtual Advocacy Day