More communities across the nation are drafting landscape codes to shape the way their community will look for years to come and address new areas such as water conservation, irrigation controls, site drainage and landscape best management practices. Many communities are also showing commitment to trees in ways not thought possible ten years ago when the National Urban and Community Forestry program was launched. New tree protection, preservation and planting ordinances are being enacted nationwide and this trend should continue for years to come. The traditional, MTM Model Tree ordinance, (Municipal Tree Manual) is being replaced by new technology-driven models that address tree biology, spacing, canopy and shading requirements.

In March of this past year the new Phase II storm water rules of the 404 Water Quality Act were kicked into effect by the Environmental Protection Agency. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDEZ) is working to reduce urban non-point storm water contamination by encouraging communities to consider developing requirements for the use of storm water best management practices on development sites as small as one acre in size. These rules may affect changes to site permeability standards, infiltration and detention methods, harvesting of disconnected roof top water for irrigation use and porous paving.

One EPA sponsored project is underway that includes on-site storm water management requirements based upon LID (low impact development) methods. This model code can be used to draft zoning standards for street buffers, internal parking lot development, street yards, open space plantings and the use of EPA recommended storm water BMP?EUR??,,????'???S. Maintenance, water conservation and landscape installation are all addressed in the model code. This model will be available for use in 2006.

Exciting things are happening with new urbanism, smart growth and LEED, all of which will lead to more involvement by Landscape Architects in the design or redesign of cities, towns and neighborhoods. One program for instance, the Neighborhood Developments (LEED-ND) Program is sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU). These groups are working together to develop a rating system to certify new community development that integrates the principles of green building, new urbanism, and smart growth into the design of neighborhoods. A pilot program will be established and tested in 2006. The program is scheduled for approval in early 2007.

Finally, this coming year will allow all Americans to witness the redevelopment of the gulf coast which was devastated by hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Not since the Civil War has this country seen such massive and costly destruction and dislocation of communities. Buildings destroyed, businesses interrupted or shut down, hundreds of thousands of people flooded out as refugees to all corners of America. New Orleans, once the largest city in the South, all but became a ghost town under six to twelve feet of water in just about every location. An entire parish had all homes destroyed. The urban forest of the north shore was heavily damaged. The small coastal town of Mandeville had an estimated 50 percent of the tree canopy removed by pounding winds, and 80 to 100 foot trees toppled like match sticks, snapped and overturned became structurally damaged beyond salvage. Entire communities along the Mississippi coast have had their beachfront washed away and with it much of their tourism economy and coastal way of life. The entire landscape architecture community of New Orleans was forced to relocate elsewhere and all projects in the city came to a sudden stop.