The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) advocacy efforts are guided by prioritizing legislation related to water, transportation, parks, healthy communities, and licensure. The following list are three active bills that the ASLA is currently advocating for. All bills are accompanied by a reasoning for ASLA's involvement and their synopsis of the legislation.

America The Beautiful Act
Sens. Steve Daines R-Mont. and Angus King I-Maine, introduced the America the Beautiful Act (S. 1547) - a bill that would reauthorize extending or renewing an existing piece of legislation, within the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) - to extend the budget through 2033 and increase annual funding, expand eligibility to include all U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands, prioritize projects with at least 1% financial match from private stakeholders, boost public engagement, increase donation campaigns, and improve transparency with annual congressional reports. S. 1547 was introduced and read twice on May 1 of this year. This bill helps address more than $40 billion in deferred maintenance.

 
The ASLA supports the act because Landscape Architects help steward and design projects on public lands and in park systems. Now, the association is encouraging members to send letters to their prospective representatives to encourage support of the passage of S.1547 to reauthorize and strengthen the LRF because under the Great American Outdoors Act is has "delivered significant improvements to roads, wastewater systems, trails, visitor centers, and employee housing across our federal lands. But the need remains enormous..."

The Land and Water Conservation Fund
The White House sent Congress its fiscal year 2026 budget request in May, which proposed slashing dedicated Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) aid. In August 2020, the Great American Outdoors Act passed and granted $900 million in royalties paid by energy companies on the Outer Continental Shelf. The funding was then put towards LWCF to protect national parks, surrounding areas around rivers and lakes, coastal areas, parks, and trails. According to LWCFcoalition.org, the fund was created in 1964 by Congress as a "bipartisan commitment to safeguard natural areas, water resources, and our cultural heritage and to provide recreation opportunities across the nation." Further, in using revenues from the depletion of one natural resource - like offshore oil - to support conservation efforts elsewhere like national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests.

According to the ASLA, the current proposal would undermine funding for local parks and public lands projects - that Landscape Architects design - jeopardize outdoor access, disrupt conservation efforts and its corresponding $1.2 trillion outdoor economy that supports five million jobs, and cut off investments in underserved communities that rely on LWCF for green space access. The association is asking members to send letters to their representatives requesting the $900 million annual funding, oppose LWCF diversion, and protect the long-term structure of the program. At the time of publication, a Secretary's Order - signed on Sept. 4 - directed the U.S. Department of the Interior to work with state and tribal governments to "ensure LWCF investments support outdoor recreation infrastructure and expand opportunities in underserved and urban communities."

Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act
The Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act (S. 1166 / H.R. 3703) was introduced by Sen. Ruben Gallego D-Ariz., to help mitigate heat that threatens health, safety, and quality of life through the specification of trees, green roofs, and porous surfaces to neighborhoods. H.R. 3703 was introduced in the House and referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. Meanwhile, in the Senate S. 1166 was introduced and read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

In Section 2, Article 5 of the Senate Bill, urban heat isn't only a public health threat but an economic one as heat leads to increased roadway maintenance costs, summer energy costs, lost productivity, and increased healthcare infrastructure impacts.

The bill also asks for capital by creating a new federal grant program through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help local governments - with at least 75% of the funds would go to communities with a poverty rate of 20% or higher - and nonprofits implement these programs that would cool neighborhoods. At the time of publication, the program has built in oversight through a board that would help select recipients of grants and review the progress of projects on a yearly basis. Further, the board would develop and apply a rubric to evaluate the success of funded project and serve the Secretary in an advisory capacity. Landscape Architects would directly benefit with this program because it would lead to nature-based projects.

For more information head to the ASLA iAdvocate page.