This has begun to change -- not fast enough, though, I agree. LADWP and the City of LA have both begun to convert their own buildings' landscaping to drought-t

This has begun to change -- not fast enough, though, I agree. LADWP and the City of LA have both begun to convert their own buildings' landscaping to drought-tolerant plantings. It's very slow, I think because of a color-of-money issue. Upkeep may come from a already-available pile of cash, while replacement comes from a different and much smaller pile. Also, for a couple of years now, LADWP has been offering cash payments to customers who replace their lawn with drought-tolerant plants (http://www.ladwp.cafriendlylandscaping.com http://www.ladwp.cafriendlylandscaping.com). It's having a noticeable effect, although I have to say that many of the jobs done by contractors are atrocious. Exhibit A is these guys, http://turfterminators.com http://turfterminators.com, who will replace your front yard with 2'' stones and a few sad succulents for free, and claim your DWP payment. I removed my lawn 14 years ago.