Washington, D.C., — January 29, 2009 — Nancy Somerville, Executive Vice President and CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), issued the following statement on the removal of the National Mall provision from the stimulus bill:

“The National Mall has witnessed some of the most significant events in our country’s history. However, the more than one million people who visited for the most recent of such events no doubt witnessed firsthand the utter state of decay on the Mall.

“It is a shame that the latest effort to rehabilitate one of America ’s most important landscapes has fallen to political wrangling. The stricken provision to restore the Mall would have certainly provided thousands of jobs. More importantly, it would have restored the symbol of our democracy to millions around the world who visit the Mall every year. So many have used the space to stand up for what they believe in. It’s time for all of us to take a stand for a landscape too culturally significant to ignore further.”

About ASLA

Founded in 1899, ASLA is the national professional association for landscape architects, representing more than 18,300 members in 48 professional chapters and 68 student chapters. The Society's mission is to lead, to educate, and to participate in the careful stewardship, wise planning, and artful design of our cultural and natural environments. Members of the Society use their “ ASLA ” suffix after their names to denote membership and their commitment to the highest ethical standards of the profession. Learn more about landscape architecture online at www.asla.org.


Contact:

Jim Lapides
American Society of Landscape Architects
Tel.: 202-216-2371
E-mail: Email Contact