| Thank you to the ASLA's "50 by 2010" Licensure Campaign contributors -
BSLA appreciates their commitment to this cause. |
| ASLA's 50 by 2010 Six years ago, the American Society of Landscape Architects initiated its "50 by 2010" licensure campaign. This initiative is intended to establish uniform practice licensure for all 50 states by 2010. States that currently have title acts are asked to work toward a practice act, and states without any form of licensure are asked to pursue licensure with their legislature. In the Boston Society of Landscape Architects' area, that means upgrading Massachusetts and Maine to full practice acts, and instituting landscape architectural licensure in New Hampshire for the first time. The benefits to our membership and landscape architects in general throughout northern New England will be great: increased stature in the design community, policing of unqualified practitioners, and the potential to expand the range of our practices. At the same time, the efforts and costs of accomplishing this goal are also significant. Developing legislation and conducting the lobbying required to pass legislation requires strong grass roots support from the landscape architects who will benefit, along with the assistance of highly specialized consultants. We estimate the costs to enact legislation in all three states could exceed $150,000. We are now asking the landscape architecture professionals in the states of Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts to step forward and fund this important effort. The leadership of the BSLA has developed a fundraising campaign that focuses first on the firms of the chapter - these are the organizations that will benefit most directly from the change in practice laws. As many of us practice regularly across state borders, we are developing a shared financial resource to meet the needs of all three states. By pooling our resources, we can lighten the financial burden on any single state. We are asking for a four-year commitment, to spread the financial burden and recognize that the effort will need to be sustained over multiple years as each state approaches its process independently. Finally, we are asking firms to give based on the scope of their landscape architectural practices, as represented by the number of landscape architects they employ. The following matrix indicates the recommended level of donation based on firms of the chapter. Donations above these levels are encouraged; doing so will substantially benefit our goals:
Once we receive your commitment, the BSLA will send an annual reminder for future payments. If you would prefer, the total donation can be paid up front. Please make checks payable to the Boston Society of Landscape Architects. Please note that donations are not a charitable contribution, but may be considered a business expense; please consult your tax professional for further information. Now is the time to raise our profession to the level of other allied professions we regularly work with, and to make our chapter a model for others to follow. Firms will be recognized for their donations in our newsletters and web site. We thank you in advance for your help with something so important to our profession. We have enclosed a BSLA Licensure Fundraising Factsheet that explains and answers many potential questions. Sincerely, Joseph
T. Geller, BSLA President
|
| Home page |
| Thank
you to our 2008 Partners |
 |
 |
| Become
a BSLA Partner - click for more details |
| BSLA
Chapter Office 19 Harrison Street Framingham, MA 01702 508-620-5018 508-879-4892 fax info@BSLAweb.org |
| Thank
You to our 2008 BSLA Circle of Support |