Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ recommends:

• Expanding 529 education savings plans to cover professional licensure and workforce training;
• Restoring one-year deductibility for research and development (R&D) expenses;
• Reinstating the brownfields redevelopment tax incentive;
• Maintaining the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds used to fund local infrastructure;
• Preserving the nonprofit tax exemption that supports professional societies.

Through these recommendations, Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ aims to reduce financial barriers for practitioners, encourage private investment in public spaces, and ensure that the profession can continue to contribute to healthier, safer, and more resilient communities. The recommendations reflect Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ's long-standing role as an advocate for policies that strengthen the landscape architecture profession and the people and places it serves.

Download Providing Tax Relief and Incentives for the Landscape Architecture Profession.

Read Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ's full letter: Download the Letter

Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ strongly supports the existing Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture, which emphasize design excellence, sustainability, and community engagement. In its letter, Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ urges the GSA to maintain an open, collaborative approach to federal architecture—one that ensures public buildings serve the diverse needs of the American people while addressing future challenges.

Read Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ's full response: Download the Letter

Executive Actions to Date

Since taking office on January 20, the Trump administration has released several executive orders impacting federal funding. In particular, the administration on January 20 released the executive order titled, which states, "all agencies shall immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 (Public Law 117-169) or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (Public Law 117-58)." Then, on January 27, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memorandum instructing agencies to impose a "temporary pause" on many federal loans and grants, including those administered under IIJA and IRA programs.

Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ and its advocates worked tirelessly to pass key provisions in both the Ìý²¹²Ô»å IRA that addressed planning and resilient design, active transportation, water and stormwater management, parks and outdoor recreation, and more. These provisions have benefited landscape architects and the communities they serve.

After legal challenges, OMB rescinded its funding memorandum and federal courts have enjoined the government's "pause" in payments to contractors and grant recipients. However, it appears that agencies are nonetheless stopping disbursements under many federal programs and directing some contractors and grant recipients to stop work. Many agencies have taken immediate action to enforce new executive orders by issuing stop-work orders to federal contractors under the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Grant recipients are also facing suspension orders pursuant to the grant regulations.

Best Practices for Contractors and Grant Recipients

Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ has engaged with legal experts who have experience helping organization impacted by action like this federal funding pause and/or stop work orders. The firm, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, has published , which provides helpful information and best practices. Although the landscape remains uncertain and legal challenges to White House directives are pending, there are steps contractors and grantees can take as developments continue to unfold.

Below is a summary of some best practices, according to Pillsbury.Ìý

• Legal Counsel: First and foremost, contractors and grantees who receive notices directing that their activities be suspended should coordinate with their legal counsel to ensure that they preserve their rights.
• Review Contract or Award Language: Contractors and grant recipients should review their contracts or grant awards and make sure to analyze the terms and conditions.
• Share the Stop Work Notice Down to Subcontractors or Subrecipients: Stop-work or suspensions orders typically require the orders to be passed down to subcontractors and subrecipients, or at least implicitly require this sharing to enable costs to be eliminated or mitigated.
• Communicate with the Contracting Officer or Agency Promptly: Establish clear communication with agency officials to understand the scope of the stop-work or suspension order and carefully review any formal stop-work or suspension order to determine what work, if any, may still be performed
• Document Additional Costs and Cost-Mitigation Efforts: Maintain thorough records of efforts taken to minimize additional costs during a stop-work or suspension period, as well as all costs incurred.
• Consider Equitable Adjustments: Contractors may request adjustments for expenses related to stop-work or suspension orders, and for additional time to perform requirements, within 30 days of the end of work stoppage. Grant recipients may also be able to request changes to project scope or budget. It is advisable to engage legal counsel early to assist in preparing adjustment requests.

Additional ResourcesÌý

• Craft a comment letter
• Initiate an iAdvocate campaign
• Start conversations with state legislators

Ultimately, the bill underwent significant revision, and all deregulation provisions were removed.

The State Government Affairs team also collaborated with LCË¿¹ÏÊÓƵ to address another concerning legislative proposal, SB 456. This bill proposed a sunset review process that would automatically terminate all boards and commissions by July 1, 2029, unless the entity was reviewed and approved by a new Review Commission.

Responding swiftly, a comment letter of opposition was crafted and promptly dispatched to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs, and the Chapter was prepared to testify in opposition. However, given the amount of opposition to the bill, the sponsor withdrew the bill.

All Chapters are encouraged to remain vigilant and proactively educate state legislators on the health, safety, and welfare impacts of landscape architecture. Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ provides resources for hosting State Advocacy Days and Site Tours. The State Government Affairs team is available to discuss any member concerns related to legislation or policy.

• Project expenses for new parks
• Renovation of existing recreation facilities
• Development of infrastructure supporting outdoor education and public land volunteerism

Priority will be given to projects that:

• Take place within underserved communities
• Empower the youth in these communities
• Significantly enhance access to parks and recreational opportunities

"Research confirms what our bodies and nature already understand – more time in outdoor spaces increases well-being," said Torey Carter-Conneen, CEO of Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ. "Communities across the country need investment in welcoming, dynamic, and safe outdoor spaces. Landscape architects have deep experience in bringing people and nature closer together."

The Senate companion bill, America's Outdoor Recreation Act, also contains the Outdoors for All Act. Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ is now working to ensure the Senate swiftly passes this bipartisan parks and recreation package.

• Environmental Protection: Federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Land Management, and Fish & Wildlife Service have issued rules and regulations that span air quality, wetland management, public lands conservation, greenhouse gas emissions, and more.
• Student Loans: The Department of Education has issued several rules related to student loan repayment or forgiveness since July 2023. This includes the Saving on a Valuable Education program, which lowers monthly student loan payments and offers a shorter path to loan forgiveness.
• Labor: The Department of Labor has issued rules related to overtime eligibility, Davis-Bacon prevailing wages for construction workers, and worker exposure to extreme heat.

Moving Forward

A recently released list of that address climate change, biodiversity, public health, and more could be jeopardized because of the Loper Bright decision. EPA's highly anticipated rule on greenhouse gas emissions from existing natural gas power plants is scheduled for this fall, along with a rulemaking to update hazardous air pollutant reporting requirements; and a rule to eliminate lead from drinking water. Also, in late fall, the Department of Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to announce a decision on whether to designate the monarch butterfly as threatened or endangered and rules governing the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Ìý

Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ will continue to monitor these rulemakings and their impact on landscape architects.

• Rivers, coasts, wetlands, and watersheds
• Forests, grasslands, and important ecosystems that serve as carbon sinks
• Connecting and reconnecting wildlife corridors, large landscapes, watersheds, and seascapes
• Resilience to flooding, drought, and other climate-related threats
• Access to the outdoors, particularly in underserved communities

• Implementation Grants ($1 million to $5 million for each award)
• Planning Grants ($200,000 to $2 million for each award)
• Sentinel Landscape Grants for the Department of Defense's Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program ($250,000 to $1.5 million for each award)
• National Forest Grants ($250,000 to $1.5 million for each award)
• Private Forests, Rangeland and Farmland Grants ($200,000 to $500,000 for each award)

• Multifunctionality
• Feasibility
• Community & Indigenous Partnership
• Budget & Procurement

• Funds environmental protection and restoration projects that safeguard the Great Lakes and underserved communities in the region.
• Part of EPA's newly created Great Lakes Environmental Justice Grant Program under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).
• Established in 2010, GLRI accelerates efforts to protect and restore the largest system of fresh surface water in the world—the Great Lakes.
• Long-term goals of the initiative include addressing:
  • Toxic substances and areas of concern
  • Invasive species; nonpoint source pollution impacts on nearshore health
  • Habitats and species
  • Foundations for future restoration actions

• Funds local projects and technical assistance to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay's ecosystem and economic opportunities and advance environmental justice in the region.
• This funding marks the most significant single contribution to the Chesapeake Bay Program.
• Projects these investments will fund include installing stormwater infrastructure practices to intercept stormwater runoff, building capacity for community-led urban tree canopy planting projects, and collecting native seed stocks for nurseries.
• The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and in North America, covering 64,000 square miles and including more than 150 rivers and streams that drain into the Bay.

• Political subdivisions of a state:
• Counties, cities, towns, transit agencies, and other special districts.
• Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs).
• Federally recognized Tribal governments.

• Create or update Comprehensive Safety Action Plans
• Conduct road safety audits and collect pedestrian casualty data
• Lead MUTCD demonstrations and studies
• Design behavioral or operational activity pilot programs
• Organize community stakeholder engagement and collaboration

• Advocate to policymakers
• Make statements to press and digital media
• Inform allied professions
• Raise awareness among the public about the nature of landscape architecture

• Simplify and enhance the readability of the "Practice of Landscape Architecture" definition
• Affirm that the post-nominal letters of "PLA" should be used to denote licensure
• Support efficient and streamlined processes for licensure mobility and reciprocity
• And more

• Climate change
• Biodiversity
• Water resource management
• Parks and recreation
• Active transportation
• Environmental justice, and more.

• More nature-based solutions in USACE water resources projects
• More landscape architects working on USACE water resources projects
• More opportunities for small landscape architecture firms to work on USACE projects
• The adoption of The Sustainable SITES Initiative® (SITES®) in USACE projects

• Climate change
• Biodiversity loss
• Environmental injustice
• Transportation safety concerns, and more.

Ìý

Just by being an intern with policymakers, regulators, and advocacy organizations, students can help raise awareness of the profession. For example, a state lawmaker who has learned about the health, safety, and welfare impacts of landscape architecture from an intern is more likely to support licensure against deregulation threats.

Applied to a public policy internship? Let Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ know.

Students are also able to use this customizable cover letter template to speed up the application process.

To share information on new internship opportunities, please email governmentaffairs@asla.org.

• Workforce training and credentialing programs
• Government issued professional licenses
• Contributions to 529 plans are exempt from federal taxes. Many times, they have additional state tax advantages.

• Fees for exams
• Books and equipment
• Continuing education
• Licensure renewal
• To benefit from this measure, professionals and students would need to open a 529 Savings Plan account. The new tax benefits would be realized through personal contributions to these accounts.

• Finance, Data, and Capacity Building: Which Accelerator Frameworks to Build Water-Smart Cities?
• Enhancing Urban Water Resilience through Nature-based Solutions in Public Places
• Driving Higher Education for Global Action
• Nature-Base Solutions and Climate Finance Mechanisms
• Scaling Up Nature-Based Solutions in Urban Environments
• Nature-based Solutions and the Built Environment: Designing for Resilience, Drawdown and Biodiversity
• Investing in Nature
• Accelerating Finance for Nature-based Solutions: Unlocking Opportunities for Sustainable Development
• Innovative Governance for Flood and Drought Risk Management
• Water as Leverage for Worldwide Urban Resilience: Through Multilevel Climate Action
• If you'd like to dive deeper into the panels you can .

Specifically, this measure:

• Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to authorize State energy conservation plans to allow grants for green roofs at public schools.
• Prioritizes projects for public schools that serve low-income and high-pollution neighborhoods.
• Prioritizes projects that meet performance and nationally recognized standards for green roofs, including The Sustainable SITES Initiative® (SITES®).
• Allows additional funding for up to five years for the maintenance of the green roof.
• Recognizes the role of landscape architects as leaders in planning and designing green roofs.

"Energy savings, heat mitigation, and a nature-based learning environment that supports local wildlife makes the Public School Green Rooftop Program Act a victory for students and budget-conscious administrators alike," ÌýTorey Carter-Conneen, CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Learn moreÌýaboutÌýthe benefits of Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ's own green roof.

Write your legislators today and urge them to support the Public School Green Rooftop Program Act!

This revised rule seeks to provide clarity and a path forward. For example, infrastructure projects, economic opportunities, and additional actions can resume to safeguard our nation's waters now that the Army Corps of Engineers will resume issuing jurisdictional determinations on whether certain waters are subject to the Clean Water Act.

To learn more about the revised WOTUS rule and how it may impact your work as a landscape architect, please visit , including updated .

Additionally, tell Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ about your leadership on water projects experience and how federal water policies impact your work by .

The new U.S. Access Board guidelines cover the minimum scoping and technical requirements for various spaces and elements in the public right-of-way, such as pedestrian access routes. Other highlights in the requirements include accessible pedestrian signals, curb ramps and blended transitions, detectable warning surfaces, crosswalks at roundabouts, on-street parking, transit stops, and street furniture. In addition, the guidelines address shared use paths, which are designed primarily for use by bicyclists, pedestrians and other authorized motorized and non-motorized users.

The Access Board provides free technical assistance specifically on accessibility of public right-of-way, including sidewalks, street crossings, and other pedestrian used features. Email: row@access-board.gov for more information.

The maze of federal grant notices can often be expansive and overwhelming. So, Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ will cultivate this central list of funding opportunities based on relevance to the profession. Additionally, the federal funding programs listed here will be aligned with the priorities and federal programs that Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ members identified in the 2023-24 Federal & State Policy Priorities survey, including climate change and biodiversity, water management, parks and recreation, active transportation, environmental justice, and more.

In some instances, landscape architects and their firms may need to collaborate with state and local governments, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO's), non-profits, or others to submit applications for requests for proposals (RFP's) and notice of funding opportunities (NOFO's).

The list is accessible only to Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ members. It will be updated in real time to display new opportunities as they become available. This product can be found at: /federalnofo.aspx. It will also exist on the iAdvocate homepage on the Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ website, under the "Funding" tab. For additional questions, please contact governmentaffairs@asla.org.

Established by Congress in 1984, NFWF has grown to become the nation's largest private conservation grant-maker. The organization works with both the public and private sectors to protect and restore our nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitats for current and future generations. Since its founding, NFWF has supported more than and enhanced wildlife populations and natural habitats in all .

As Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ continues to address the biodiversity crisis, NFWF programs can support landscape architects in implementing innovative strategies that promote wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, and ecological resilience. Landscape architects may be interested in funding opportunities for nationwide programs including:

Ìý

• seeks to address water quality issues in priority watersheds, such as erosion due to unstable streambanks, pollution from stormwater runoff, and degraded shorelines caused by development.
• advances local on-the-ground watershed restoration, helps local communities clean up and restore their polluted rivers and streams, and restores and protects key Chesapeake Bay species.
• is dedicated to restoring the fish and wildlife habitats and water quality of the Delaware River and its tributaries. The Delaware River Program currently awards grants through two competitive funding opportunities - the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund and Delaware River Restoration Fund.
• is a public–private partnership designed to sustain, restore and protect fish, wildlife and habitat in the basin. The program achieves this mission, in part, by awarding grants for on-the-ground habitat restoration and enhancement.
• invests in conservation projects that restore or expand natural features such as coastal marshes and wetlands, dune and beach systems, oyster and coral reefs, forests, coastal rivers and floodplains, and barrier islands that minimize the impacts of storms and other naturally occurring events on nearby communities.
• is dedicated to restoring and sustaining healthy forests and rivers that provide habitat for diverse native bird and freshwater fish populations in the Northeastern United States.

Ìý

NFWF also commissions third-party experts to conduct in-depth evaluations of these conservation programs. Experts assess the program's design, implementation, and efficacy. Any necessary changes to the program will be recommended by the experts. These case evaluations offer landscape architects an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in nature-based infrastructure.

Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ encourages all its members to to receive information about NFWF opportunities, funding announcements, requests for proposals, and more. Members can .

Improving protections for overburdened, underserved communities from environmental harm. Specifically, this order directs agencies to address disproportionate and adverse effects on communities by focusing on cumulative impacts like pollution and climate change. Additionally, this order requires agencies to inform communities of toxic substances released by a federal facility and hold public meetings to share ongoing information.

Calling on federal agencies to actively facilitate meaningful public engagement with communities to confront existing and legacy barriers and injustices that historically prevented them from having a voice in federal decision-making.

Establishing two new White House initiatives—the Environmental Justice Subcommittee within the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the White House Office of Environmental Justice within the Council on Environmental Quality. Specifically, the Subcommittee will promote the latest science, data, and research related to environmental justice and make information on environmental and health concerns more publicly accessible to communities. The Office of Environmental Justice will address current and historic environmental injustice by coordinating the implementation of related policies across the federal government.

In addition to the Executive Order, the Biden-Harris administration announced new steps to further increase environmental justice efforts. For example, the Office of Management and Budget and the Council on Environmental Quality created and recently published an that tracks federal agencies' progress to secure environmental justice. Additionally, the administration reshaped its —a goal to provide underserved communities 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments for projects relating to climate change, clean energy and energy efficiency, clean transit, affordable and sustainable housing, training and workforce development, remediation and reduction of legacy pollution, and the development of critical clean water and wastewater infrastructure—such that nearly 470 programs across 19 federal agencies are covered.

Read more on the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to advance environmental justice .

Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ believes all advocacy efforts must include a push for equity and environmental justice. All too often underserved communities are ignored during the planning stages of projects and disproportionately suffer adverse environmental and health consequences. Landscape architects know the importance of community engagement and that communities most affected by a project should be heard and understood.

• Supporting environmental infrastructure projects, including ecosystem restoration projects.
• Supporting green infrastructure by reviewing current policies to preserve open space, recreational areas, and critical habitats in water resources development projects.
• Incorporating nature-based solutions by directing the Corps to identify opportunities to include natural or nature-based features into flood or storm risk management projects prior to executing a cost-sharing agreement for a feasibility study.
• Addressing climate change impacts by authorizing the Corps to maintain and reconstruct jetties, breakwaters, and storm damage reduction projects to address sea-level rise, extreme weather, and similar challenges posed by our changing climate.

Expanding equity and environmental justice by increasing the Corps' authority to study water resources challenges facing economically disadvantaged communities, communities of color, and Tribal and rural communities at no cost to the community in addition to requiring the appointment of local liaisons for enhanced coordination with Tribal and indigenous groups on water resources issues.

Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ members have identified their increasing work on WRDA projects, including projects that focus on stormwater runoff; flood control; sea-level rise; damaged shorelines and natural landscape protection, and more. Throughout the years, Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ encouraged policymakers and Corps leaders to study and adopt increased use of green infrastructure and nature-based solutions, which not only directly address water resources issues but also provide additional community-wide benefits.

Do you work on Corps projects? .

It is imperative that landscape architects — as stewards of public health, safety, and welfare and the environment — engage in state-level policy. When landscape architects educate and connect with policymakers, understanding of and appreciation for the profession grows. With greater political awareness comes new opportunities for creating designs needed to improve communities and the environment. In designing for climate change, protecting biodiverse habitats, building safer streets, and supporting environmental justice in underserved neighborhoods, landscape architects will benefit from fostering strong relationships with legislators at the state and local levels.

These relationships are also crucial to promoting and defending licensure. It's vital for lawmakers to have a fundamental understanding of the scope of the profession and its impact on public health, safety, and welfare. Having a well-educated legislature will oftentimes dispel attempts at weakening or deregulating the practice of the profession. In 2022, direct contact between Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ members and state legislators and policy makers resulted in significant licensure victories in Montana and Louisiana. To continue to advance the profile of the profession and stay ahead of licensure threats, landscape architects must advocate.

If you are interested in participating in or helping to coordinate a State Advocacy Day event, please contact your Chapter President or Advocacy Chair.