Record of Determination for the temporary restriction of access and public use limit in certain areas of The National Mall and Memorial Parks and National Capital Parks—East, for the 2025 Army 250th Birthday Parade and Festival.

On April 23, 2025, the Secretary of Homeland Security designated the 2025 U.S. Army 250th Birthday Parade occurring on June 14, 2025, as a National Special Security Event (NSSE). This event is attended by the highest officials from all three branches of government, as well as thousands of spectators. In supporting the NSSE event, the U.S. Army (Army) is requesting the National Park Service (NPS) temporarily restrict access to certain roadways, sidewalks and park lands under the jurisdiction of the NPS due to the unique security requirements associated with the temporary residency of military vehicles.

Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.5, beginning at approximately 8:00 a.m. on June 8, 2025 (or as noted more specifically below), the National Park Service (NPS) is imposing a temporary closure of, and public use limit in, certain designated parklands within the National Mall and Memorial Park and National Capital Parks—East in conjunction with the 2025 Army 250th Birthday Parade and Festival as delineated by signage and as further delineated by fencing. These temporary closures will remain in place through June 19, 2025, at approximately 11:00 p.m. (or as noted more specifically below). Closures will be lifted as soon as practicable restoring access to the public.

Specifically, there will be temporary closures to the following areas:

National Mall and Memorial Parks-West Potomac Park

• West Potomac Park Drive;

• Ohio Drive from West Potomac Park Drive to the Ohio Drive Bridge, including the lower half of West Basin Drive just south of the entrance to the FDR Memorial from June 9, 2025, through June 12, 2025; and

• The portion of Independence Avenue under the jurisdiction of the NPS, from 23rd Street to the Tidal Basin beginning June 15, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. through June 16, 2025, 6:00 a.m. and again on June 16, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. and concluding by June 17, 2025, at 6:00 a.m.

National Capital Parks-East Anacostia

• Anacostia Drive, beginning 8:00 a.m. on June 8, 2025, through 11:00 p.m. on June 12, 2025, and beginning 8:00 a.m. on June 15, 2025, through 11:00 p.m. on June 19, 2025.

It is further anticipated that Military District of Washington Provost Marshal Office and US Park Police will increase security fencing in the area. These restrictions are expected to begin on June 8, 2025, from approximately 5:00 a.m. and continue until approximately 6:00 a.m. on June 17, 2025. These public access restrictions are necessary during military vehicle staging to ensure the safety of the public as well as the personnel engaged the Army 250 parade and festival. Excepted from this closure and public use limit are U.S. Army personnel who require access to the military vehicles staged within the closed area and construction personnel accessing the ongoing District of Columbia Water construction project. A copy of the Department of the Army, U.S. Army Military District of Washington letter and maps dated June 6, 2025, is attached and incorporated by reference.

This temporary and partial closure and public use limit are not of a nature, magnitude and duration that will result in a “significant alteration in the public use pattern.” Further, the public use limit and closure will not adversely affect the park’s natural, aesthetic or cultural values, is not of a highly controversial nature, and does not require a long-term or significant modification in the resource-management objectives of any affected park. Rather, closures and public use limits such as these are commonplace for these types of public events that require extensive staging and at which heads of state meet with government officials, and they are necessary to provide the public with as much access as possible to park land while also providing for public safety and the security that the U.S. Army and the Secret Service has deemed necessary for this event. These closures and public use limits are also geographically and temporally limited as much as possible while still providing for necessary public safety and security.

Accordingly, the National Park Service determines publication as rulemaking in the Federal Register is unwarranted under 36 C.F.R. § 1.5(b). This is consistent with hundreds of earlier partial and temporary park closures or public use limitations, the legal opinion of the Office of the Solicitor, and judicial adjudications. Mahoney v. Norton, No. 02-1715 (D.D.C. August 29, 2002), plaintiff’s emergency motion for injunction pending appeal denied Mahoney v. Norton, No. 02- 5275 (D.C. Cir. September 9, 2002) (per curiam); Picciotto v. United States, No. 99-2113 (D.D.C. August 6, 1999); Picciotto v. United States, No. 94-1935 (D.D.C. September 9, 1994); Picciotto v. Lujan, No. 90-1261 (D.D.C. May 30, 1990); Picciotto v. Hodel, No. 87-3290 (D.D.C. January 26, 1988); Spiegel v. Babbitt, 855 F. Supp. 402 (D.D.C. 1994), aff'd in part w/o op. 56 F.3d 1531 (D.C. Cir. 1995), reported in full, 1995 US App. Lexis 15200 (D.C. Cir. May 31, 1995). Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.7, notice of this temporary and partial closure and public use limit will be made though media advisories, maps, fencing, and by posting at conspicuous locations in the affected park areas. Finally, pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.5(c), this determination is available to the public upon request.

/s/

Jen Nersesian, Regional Director
National Capital Region

June 7, 2025