I believe that the continued licensure of the practice of landscape architecture in Virginia
is essential to protect the public health, safety, and welfare. Licensure is the appropriate
statutory process by which an individual meets the legal requirements of education,
experience, and examination to demonstrate minimum professional competency.
Licensure offers the consumer assurance that the licensed landscape architect has met a
minimum set of professional standards and is qualified to provide services within the
profession’s regulated scope of practice. Licensure also ensures the practitioners’ ability
to compete within regulated markets of the design professions.

Licensure of landscape architects, based on the combination of education, experience,
and examination, demonstrates competency and qualification to provide professional
landscape architectural services in a manner that protect the public’s health, safety and
welfare. The practice of landscape architecture should only be performed by, and the titles
"landscape architect” and “landscape architectural” should only be used by, licensed
individuals as defined, titled, and governed by enacted licensure requirements. Qualified
individuals are encouraged to pursue professional licensure as a means to demonstrate
minimum standards of competency across the profession and strengthen protection of
the public interest in the delivery of landscape architectural services.

Licensure of landscape architects provides parity with the other design professions by
lifting restraints on competition, within overlapping markets, that are often created when
some but not all of the design professions are licensed.

Nathan Greene, PLA

Aquatic Resources Restoration Specialist with Allstar Ecology, LLC