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GILLETTE, Wy.– A proposed landscape ordinance that would establish water-use limits for businesses coming to Gillette has the support of the city?EUR??,,????'???s planning commission. The commission voted 4-2 to recommend the city council pass the ordinance. About 50 residents and business owners attended the public hearing before the vote and more than a dozen of them spoke in favor of the proposal.
RDG Planning and Design?EUR??,,????'???s Marty Shukert, principal of the Omaha based firm that helped design the proposal, said the ordinance could create up to 120 acres of landscaped land as the city continues to grow during the next 20 years.
The ordinance goes through three city council readings and gets its final approval on the third reading, said Shukert. No revisions were made after the June 7 reading.
?EUR??,,????'??The city wants to establish landscape standards to improve the environment,?EUR??,,????'?? said Shukert. ?EUR??,,????'??The landscape ordinance was written in such a way that it was consistent with other ordinances. It?EUR??,,????'???s quite moderate in comparison with others.?EUR??,,????'??
Shukert said Gillette wanted to create a better city that was more attractive, which would lend value to property owners. Dealing with the issue of water strain, the ordinance placed flexibility and encouraged use of xeriscape. It could be 100 percent of the surface area for xeriscape or half of the area, provided tree crowns, bushes and flowers are used. The total amount of water used for non-residential uses was quite small, said Shukert. The requirement of cutting back on turf-based landscapes can be relaxed if xeriscape can be used in a variety of applications.
CHICAGO, Ill.– Botanists are eyeing more plants for listing under the Illinois Exotic Weeds Act. The law was passed in 1985 and bans 10 species from sale in the state. It aims to protect the state?EUR??,,????'???s native plant species.
The suspect plants are listed by the Chicago Botanic Garden and include Baby?EUR??,,????'???s breath, Barberry, Bradford pear, Burning bush, Goutweed, Oriental Bittersweet and more than 80 other species. Some landscape planners, however, say that adding plants to the legislation will limit planting options.
Goutweed, for example, ?EUR??,,????'??spreads very aggressively, but it?EUR??,,????'???s not going to seed out the way lythrum (purple loosestrife) or phragmites (an invasive grass) will,?EUR??,,????'?? Adam Schwerner of the Chicago Park District told the Chicago Tribune. ?EUR??,,????'??It has to do with the style of planting and where it?EUR??,,????'???s planted.?EUR??,,????'??
No changes have been introduced this year, but species added to the Exotic Weeds Act list in 2003 include kudzu and six species of buckthorn.
The license exam for landscape architects in the U.S. and Canada is now being administered on computer terminals. The switch from the Landscape Architect Registration Examination?EUR??,,????'???s pen-and-paper format is reducing testing costs and limiting the distance test-takers have to travel, the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) reports.
The computerized test is being offered at more than 700 locations, which means most candidates will need to travel less than 30 miles to their testing place.
Currently, sections A, B, and D are being administered electronically, with C and E still on paper. Plans call for all test portions to be computer-administered ?EUR??,,????'??as soon as that is feasible,?EUR??,,????'?? the council says.
The deadline to register for the December L.A.R.E. is Oct. 1. New test preparation material is available online. Information on registration and test prep is available by calling LaserGrade at (800) 211-2754.
50,250 – Average yearly salary for an intermediate researcher in botany.
Source: American Institute for Biological Science
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
November 12th, 2025
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