Title: Landscape Architecture Month

Summary: Recognizing April 2019 as "Landscape Architecture Month" in Florida, etc.

Full Text:
WHEREAS, Floridians benefit from the licensed practice of landscape architecture, which assures the design of healthy, equitable, safe, and resilient public and private outdoor spaces, and WHEREAS, landscape architects are responsible for protecting the public health by creating accessible spaces, such as public plazas, parks, schools, residential common areas, playgrounds, and trails that lead to active lifestyles and healthy communities, and WHEREAS, landscape architects are also responsible for promoting public safety by applying land design skills, technical knowledge, and conservation techniques that ensure the safety of individuals and communities, and for protecting the public welfare by purposefully designing public and private spaces that provide economic, social, and environmental benefits for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy, and WHEREAS, there are more than 1,200 landscape architects in Florida who are licensed by the Florida Board of Landscape Architecture through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and have met the education, examination, and experience requirements imposed by the board, and WHEREAS, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) knowledge is at the core of the professional practice of landscape architecture and informs landscape architects as innovators, educators, researchers, and leaders who can solve the most pressing challenges facing Florida s communities, and WHEREAS, landscape architects promote security and safety through transportation design and planning of multi-use transportation corridors that accommodate all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and people who use public transportation, including people with disabilities, while also protecting sidewalks, public plazas, and other vulnerable outdoor areas from potential attackers and security threats, and WHEREAS, landscape architects are leaders in creating resilient and green infrastructure designs that address erosion and sediment control, stormwater management, and strategies to mitigate the effects of sea level rise and flood waters, thus allowing communities to better withstand and respond to severe weather events and lessening the need for state and local funds and resources in disaster-recovery efforts, and WHEREAS, landscape architects are leaders in creating sustainable landscapes, helping to reduce water demand and energy consumption, conserve and restore natural resources, preserve wildlife habitats, improve air quality, and regulate climate, and WHEREAS, landscape architects believe in and prioritize the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, national origin, education level, or income with regard to the development and implementation of public designs and plans, and WHEREAS, Florida s economy benefits from licensed landscape architects through the creation of inviting and safe spaces for the public, residents, and tourists alike, while simultaneously protecting the environment and associated ecological systems, and WHEREAS, the University of Florida and Florida International University have accredited landscape architecture programs, preparing students to be the next generation of leaders and innovators in landscape architecture in Florida, NOW, THEREFORE, Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: That April 2019 is recognized as  Landscape Architecture Month  in Florida.