Landscaping in the Utah Wildland-Urban Interface
The wildland-urban interface (WUI) is simply where human development mingles with wildland, or in other words, developed land next to undeveloped land.
USU Extension Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning
The mission of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning’s (LAEP) Extension program mirrors Utah State University Extension’s goal: to improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities throughout Utah. LAEP Extension has been using design and planning to help USU meet this goal for more than 40 years.
What We Do
LAEP Extension works with individuals, communities, and organizations to assist in addressing regional planning and localized design challenges.
Our work includes:
- Supporting Utah’s network of county Extension Faculty
- Developing design and planning focused educational programs and resources
- Facilitating and being involved in collaborative partnerships
- Supporting Utah’s network of design and planning practitioners
- Integrating students into meaningful design and planning projects
- Engaging in design and planning projects throughout the state
Utah Water Wise Landscape Design Workshops
Landscape design can be intimidating, especially in arid climates where water is scarce. These workshops provide a step-by-step process to help you understand your property, develop a program and function within your landscape, and finally create a landscape plan for your property.
See Upcoming WorkshopsRequest Our Help
We offer help for individuals, communities, and organizations to assist in addressing planning and design challenges by linking appropriate projects with applicable student courses, volunteer student teams, student interns, and graduate theses and projects.
Water-wise Efficient Landscape Design Research
Water-wise Landscape Design
A landscape design helps you be intentional about where, when, and how you use water within your landscape.
Water-wise Landscape Implementation
As your landscape begins to move from the design to implementation stage, an understanding of the site conditions is critical.
Maintaining a Water-wise Landscape
When considering the water shortages facing the Intermountain West, the extra training effort is worth the long-term impacts in terms of both water conservation and fewer maintenance hours.