I’m a landscape architect, licensed in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. I’ve been practicing for over 40 years and have been licensed in Virginia since 2010. The bulk of my experience has been in multi-disciplinary firms, including 25 years as a president and owner.

My work has included mixed-use master plans of over 2,500 acres, preliminary plans of subdivisions for residential projects of various sizes, construction plans for single family, townhouse, and apartment projects as well as shopping centers and office projects. I have also prepared master plans and construction documents for various park and recreation facilities from small playgrounds to a regional park with multiple soccer/football, baseball, and softball fields and large playgrounds.

Less than 10% of my work has consisted of small scale residential design or planting design of any size, so deregulating the landscape architecture profession for the sole example that a non-regulated landscape designer is able to do 10% of what I have done seems grossly misguided.

I’m sure you will hear from many of my fellow practitioners that much or most of the individual tasks we perform, like grading, drainage, stormwater management, etc. are essential to the health safety and welfare of the public. You will also hear that deregulating the profession will put landscape architects at a disadvantage in areas where our services overlap other professionals, and also with licensed landscape architects from other jurisdictions. With all of these points I would probably agree. The point I want to make, however, is that of all the professions involved in modifying and adapting natural and existing land environments for use by man, or in repairing the natural environment from the abuses of man, we are the profession best trained to take a holistic view of the problems and develop the most comprehensive solutions.

Many development review agencies at all levels of government require plans be signed and sealed by licensed professional (including landscape architects), because they can generally count on a certain level of professionalism, design quality and responsibility. For one thing, it means less effort on their part in redlining and/or redesigning parts of projects (saving tax payer’s money). One of the last states or territorial jurisdictions of the United States to license landscape architects, the District of Columbia, just started licensing last April. For the proceeding several years the District was accepting plans sealed by landscape architects from Virginia and Maryland. It was even written into their zoning codes for one specific plan.

I hope I never have to use my new District of Columbia seal for some plan to be submitted in Virginia.

Thank you for your time, thoughtful consideration, and support.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Alter PLA, CLARB, ASLA, AICP

Virginia Licensed Landscape Architect #156