News Release

National Park Service finalizes plans to restore land in Bethesda

NPS Map

News Release Date: September 13, 2019

Contact: Katie Liming, 202-619-7156

The National Park Service (NPS) has completed an environmental assessment and selected a plan to restore national park land located between the Intelligence Community Campus-Bethesda (ICC-B) and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. The goals of the project are to improve the long-term health and drainage of two stream channels that flow into the Potomac River, stabilize an eroded stream channel and resolve sedimentation issues on NPS land downstream of the ICC-B. 

The NPS will address erosion and sedimentation concerns caused by stormwater runoff from development on the ICC-B site. Stormwater runoff has resulted in increased channel erosion, exposed tree roots, downstream sedimentation and blocked culverts that divert the streams into the C&O Canal. Park managers plan to implement these actions as funding becomes available. 

The area is managed by the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

A Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was signed on September 12, 2019, by the acting Director, Region 1 – National Capital Area. The FONSI describes why the selected action will have no significant effects on the environment, provides the rationale for the decision and outlines conservation measures that will be taken to avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts. The FONSI and other planning documents may be reviewed at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/iccb.