So . . . I was going to write about how 2025 is in full swing and LASN is gearing up for another year of serving Landscape Architects and Commercial Specifiers across the country. How LASN is mailed to almost 19,000 PLAs across the country, 3X more than the association publication, and invite you to check out the LandscapeArchitect.com Product Search Engine (choose 'Products' from the menu bar) featuring more than 450 vendors, 3,000 nurseries and wholesale outlets, and some 30,000 products for your review, many with downloadable spec sheets and CAD files as well.

Then the winds returned to Southern California and, within a few days, more than 10,000 structures were taken by fire. It's not that heavy winds are unusual in this region. They have a nickname . . . the Santa Ana's . . . It was only seven years ago that fire reached my own backyard during a similar wind event. Fortunately, we had prepared the landscape around our property and made sure the association kept the trails and grounds leading back toward the inevitable winds trimmed and cleared. Even so, if not for the fire units surrounding our neighborhood that rallied from more than 50 miles away, our brush clearing and buried utilities might not have been enough . . . But they definitely helped.

 
Now (see page 67), we have city, state, and federal administrations promising to push permits forward so rebuilding can happen immediately. And that's great . . . to a point. However, before the homes and structures are built, there's a real need to pause and spend a minute on infrastructure and the landscape. Fortunately, we are hearing from Landscape Architects who are advocating for a planning phase to precede any rapid re-building.

The fact is, almost every one of these fires either start in or are fueled by the landscape, and that's one reason why we need Landscape Architects to have a seat at the table (dare I say . . . an Alpha Seat!). Scott Rice, PLA, ASLA, and SoCal ASLA President is looking forward to filling one of those seats. A Certified Access Specialist (CASp) with contracts with the city of L.A. to assess parks, rec centers, fire departments, and more, Rice is correctly advocating that "the landscape has to be dealt with before we can even think about rebuilding the structures."

Safety zones need to be established, fire-resistant foliage should be identified, roadways need to be redefined, cables need to be buried, prevailing wind directions and the anticipated paths of a wind-fueled fire need to be analysed and properly prepared. Even the grading of adjacent properties needs to be planned to slow fire and also prevent catastrophic erosion when fire does inevitably manage to lick the land, even if kept away from the structures. This doesn't need to drag down the process, but it does needs to happen. I think the insurance companies would all agree as well . . .

Now is the time for Landscape Architects to raise your hands at the local BIA, NAHB, APA, and city council meetings and make sure your voice is heard. We are already seeing the next generation of Landscape Architects stepping up, like SoCal ASLA President-Elect Melanie Buffa who, while in the process of acquiring licensure, is leading the ASLA SoCal Wildfire Task Force, driving the conversation and connecting those involved. "I learned very early in the ASLA that if you're asking the question, you're leading the conversation," said Buffa in an exclusive interview with LASN. Well, we hope she keeps on asking, because this is truely an instance where Landscape Architects need to be asking the questions and driving the conversation, and it's great to see these leaders stepping up!

Hopefully, we'll all have a safe Spring!

God Bless
George Schmok, Publisher