ASLA Letter to President Obama

The work of ASLA and its membership help Americans achieve safe, healthy, livable communities and to protect and preserve our natural resources. Somerville has contacted President Obama to ensure that these objectives, that his administration has also aspired to, will be kept in mind when considering approaches to deficit reduction.

ASLA Executive VP Nancy Somerville sent a letter this week to President Obama urging him to cautiously consider specific sections of a proposal by House Minority Leader John Boehner (OH) and Eric Cantor (VA) that would eliminate or scale back many critical federal programs.

The proposal aims to cut $375 billion over the next five years by eliminating certain federal programs that provide critical services to our nation and are important to landscape architects. Numerous sections of the proposal would negatively impact the programs that ASLA advocates for on behalf of the profession. Specifically, the proposal recommends:

• Eliminating Transportation Enhancements
• Preventing states and local governments from using Land and Water Conservation funds
• Terminating the Safe Routes to Schools Program
• Terminating Federal Funding for Non-Motorized Transportation Projects, including pedestrian and bike paths.
• Suspending Federal Land Purchases