Student fees fund 66 percent of campus landscaping costs, said Michael Gautney, director of facilities administration and planning.

Approximately 70 percent of UNA’s nearly 200-acre campus is “highly groomed — that means grass cut, flowers planted, shrubs trimmed, flowers blooming,” Gautney said.

The total budget for landscaping these areas is $605,591, according to Gautney’s financial records.

Landscaping of UNA’s campus is maintained by the grounds department, a branch of facilities administration and planning.

“The decision was made a long time ago that this campus was going to be one of the most beautiful campuses in the United States,” Gautney said. “That demands that we have certain looks to it.”

For more on this story, pick up a copy of The Flor-Ala, available this Thursday.