Bill HB 48 Signed by Gov. Bill Walker

(Pictured above: Rep. Kito III, Gov. Walker, Michele Elfers, Bianca Carpeneti. Photo Credit: Office of Governer Bill Walker)

It’s a good day in Alaska for Landscape Architects! We now have a permanent voting seat on the AELS board, the state board that regulates licensure and registration for Landscape Architects, Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors. Since we were first licensed in Alaska in 1999, we have participated on the board, reviewing licensure applications and enforcement issues and we have paid our dues to the state, but we were the only profession without a vote on the board and our seat was “temporary”.

Over the past 15 years, we have tried to change this. However, a change to state law has to go through the house and senate and be approved by the governor. A couple of times it was obstructed by a legislator. This year, Representative Sam Kito III (Juneau) introduced a bill with a provision to create a permanent voting seat on the board for Landscape Architects. It passed through the house and senate with unanimous approval and the governor signed it last week!

On the surface this may seem a trivial achievement, but for Alaskan Landscape Architects it solidifies in state law our profession on equal standing with architects, engineers and landscape surveyors. With licensure constantly being threatened around the country, Alaska is moving in the right direction.

For more information on HB 48 click here.

Thanks to all involved who worked behind the scenes and in front of the scene to make this happen. Special thanks to Mark Kimerer, Luanne Urfer, Ed Leonetti, Tamas Deak, Michele Elfers, Monique Anderson, Representative Sam Kito III, Bianca Carpeneti and all of Rep. Kito’s staff, Colin Maynard, Dale Nelson, John Walsh, APDC Board, and ASLA National. We would also like to thank Representative Thompson, Representative Gara and Representative Tuck for their co-sponsorship.

Other representatives that supported the bill include Representative Sullivan Lenors, Representative Josephson, Representative Birch, Representative Knopp, Representative Stutes, Representative Wilson, Representative Kawasaki, Representative Pruitt, Representative Ortiz, Representative Grenn, Representative Thomson, Representative Guttenberg, Representative Tilton, Representative Seaton, Representative Costello, Representative Hughes, Representative Meyer, Representative Stevens, Representative Gardner, Representative Mackinnon, Representative Bishop, Representative Von Imhof, Representative Olson, and Representative Micciche!

Thank you for supporting our professions involved in Architecture, Engineering, Landscape Architecture, and Surveying.