Jay Fernholz, FASLA, Appointed by Wisconsin Gov. to State Capitol Board

Jay Fernholz, FASLA, is the only landscape architect on the Wisconsin board.

Jay Fernholz,FASLA, chairman of the Wisconsin Joint Examining Board of Architects, Landscape Architects, Professional Engineers, Designers and Land Surveyors since 1994 (appointed by Gov. Tommy Thompson), knew his term had expired in July 2004, yet no new appointment had been made by the current governor, Jim Doyle. So, Mr. Fernholz continued on with his duties, and then the appointment was made, but not for his replacement. Instead, Gov. Doyle appointed Mr. Fernholz to the 16-member State Capitol and Executive Residence Board (SCERB). He is the only LA on the 16-member board and will serve until 2009.

LASN called Mr. Fernholz to congratulate him and find out more about the board and what's going on at the state capitol grounds. We reached him at his office in Holmen, Wis., J.J. Fernholz & Associates Landscape Architects, where he works with his wife, Diane, also a landscape architect.

The Capitol Grounds

The grounds of the Wisconsin State Capitol were designed by landscape architect John Nolan, and the capitol itself is a National Historic Landmark. New master planning for the grounds has been going on for the last 4-5 years by Ken Saiki Design of Madison. Mr. Fernholz, who counts landscape architect Ken Saiki as a close friend, was asked to assess the master planning and report on his findings at his first SCERB meeting.

Mr. Fernholz notes the Saiki plan seeks to be true to Nolan's original design. ?EUR??,,????'??He (Saiki) had the brilliant sense to incorporate disease-resistant woody plants and perennials,?EUR??,,????'?? says Mr. Fernholz. He did ?EUR??,,????'??roll one grenade under the table,?EUR??,,????'?? as he termed it. Mr. Fernholz said his single objection to the otherwise estimable master plan was the intent to remove some 38 mature Norway maples from the promenade on the boulevard between the sidewalk and curb, and the ?EUR??,,????'??monoculture?EUR??,,????'?? of tree plantings, i.e., planting one specie of tree for the entire grounds. ?EUR??,,????'??The Norway is not my favorite specie, but I have a problem with removing mature trees, ones that have live for a 100 years and can live for 100 more,?EUR??,,????'?? explains Mr. Fernholz. ?EUR??,,????'??Several of the maples have been deemed hazardous, and must be replaced, but most are in reasonably good health,?EUR??,,????'?? he says.

As to the monoculture, his concern is not only esthetic, but practical, namely tree disease. The Freeman maple is being suggested as the tree, a natural hybrid between the silver and red maple, but Mr. Fernholz believes that tree is too fast a grower, which he equates with weak wood. Mr. Fernholz believes a monoculture throughout the grounds is not necessary, though he sees justification for it at the focal point of the grounds where eight roads lead into the square to form an axis. He notes the Norway maples already supply some of the sought after symmetry.

Still, he takes his appointment seriously enough to have contacted a number of luminaries he's met over the course of his some 30 years in the profession and asked, ?EUR??,,????'??If you were forced to pick a single tree species, what would it be? A variety of oak were suggested, along with hackberry and the Kentucky coffee tree.

Other Considerations

Overly-compacted soil is one problem for the grounds, says Mr. Fernholz, the result of the weekly farmer's market gathering. ?EUR??,,????'??Pea gravel and epoxy?EUR??,,????'?? paths have helped mitigate foot traffic damage and allowed oxygen to aerate the soil. Yet, the soil has not weathered well and a redesign of paving and benches seek to aid nature's care of the flora.