News Release

Public Comment to Improve the Towpath from McMahon’s Mill to Lock 42

Date: July 9, 2018
Contact: Catherine Bragaw, 301-491-6265

HAGERSTOWN, MD – The National Park Service (NPS) announces the open public scoping period for a project to improve the condition of the towpath between McMahon’s Mill to Lock 42 within the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal National Historical Park. The park plans to rehabilitate an historic stone retaining wall and stabilize the towpath along a 0.9-mile stretch between McMahon’s Mill and Lock 42 in Williamsport, Maryland. This section of the park is consistently inundated during river flooding, causing resource damage and requiring bicycle and pedestrian detours. This project aims to lessen the impacts of high water events to the towpath, historic features of the park, and park visitors by stabilizing and raising the level of the towpath and retaining wall. The park is soliciting public comments through August 10, 2018.

The NPS will be hosting an open house meeting on July 23, 2018 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the park Headquarters at 1850 Dual Highway, Hagerstown, MD  21740. The meeting will provide an opportunity for attendees to learn more about the planning efforts for improving this area of the park and to comment on potential environmental impacts, issues, and concerns for the planning process. Public participation is an important element of the planning process and we welcome your ideas, concerns, issues, suggestions, and potential topics for consideration as we develop the environmental assessment. Please share your comments no later than August 10, 2018 via one of the following methods:

• Online through the Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website (preferred method) at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/CHOH

• Submit comments in person at the public meeting

• Mail comments (postmarked no later than August 10, 2018) to:

Kevin Brandt, Superintendent

C&O Canal National Historical Park

ATTN: McMahon’s Mill Towpath Improvements

1850 Dual Highway, Suite 100, Hagerstown, MD 21740

Following the analysis of the public scoping comments, the NPS will prepare an environmental assessment for the project, which will be made available for a 30-day public review period.