I strongly urge Virginia's Board for Professional and Occupational Regulations to continue to regulate and issue licenses of Landscape Architects. Landscape architects directly impact public health, safety, and welfare. The last six months have put additional pressure on public open spaces and trail networks due to the coronavirus pandemic revealing the critical need for safe, well designed spaces to protect the health and wellbeing of all citizens. Licensure is the most appropriate form of regulation to ensure that the public is adequately protected (both physically and monetarily) by ensuring that professionals are qualified by virtue of education, experience, and examination. Licensure of landscape architects ensures that untrained individuals are prevented from engaging in professional practice that substantially (or significantly) impacts public health, safety and welfare.

Landscape architects are called upon for complex services that require highly technical skills, making it difficult for prospective clients to evaluate the competency of professionals. Licensure as a measure of competence can assist consumers in identifying appropriate professionals for design services. The scope of landscape architectural practice includes site plans, plans of development, grading plans, vehicular roadways and pedestrian systems design, stormwater and erosion control plans, and the siting of buildings and structures, all work that localities and federal agencies require to be sealed by licensed professionals. Consequently, the scope of landscape architecture overlaps with other licensed design professionals including architects, engineers, and Class B land surveyors.

Without licensure, landscape architects would likely be prohibited from leading multidisciplinary teams. Currently, landscape architects serve as the prime consultants on projects where they coordinate and administer the services of engineers, architects, and land surveyors. Without licensure, landscape architects will be unfairly disadvantaged in the marketplace. Oftentimes, federal, state, and local contracts require the work to be completed by licensed individuals. Virginia landscape architects would be excluded from federal, state, and local work in Virginia that requires licensure.