Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.5, the National Park Service is imposing a temporary closure of the specified turf areas at the Washington Monument grounds necessary to support turf restoration. The National Park Service will close the identified areas on the below provided maps to public access beginning on August 4, 2026, at 6:00 a.m. The area on Map 1 will remain closed until September 10, 2026, at 10:00 p.m.The area on Map 2 will remain closed until January 23, 2027, at 10:00 p.m.
The turf areas at the Washington Monument grounds require significant restoration to return them to full functionality and an aesthetically pleasing condition due to wear and damage from recent permitted events. A temporary closure is necessary to allow for effective turf rehabilitation and regrowth, as continued foot traffic would interfere with the recovery process. During the remediation period, these areas will remain fully closed so the turf can properly recover and be returned to a safe, functional, and visually acceptable condition for park patrons and future permitted events.
This temporary and partial closure is not of nature, magnitude and duration that will result in a significant alteration in the public use pattern of these park areas. Other nearby park areas will remain open to the public. In the event that restoration is completed ahead of schedule or can accommodate visitor access, closures for each area will be lifted as soon as safely possible and the public will be notified. The closure will not adversely affect the park's natural, aesthetic, or cultural values. Additionally, closure will not require significant modification to the resource management objectives and is not controversial in nature.
Accordingly, the National Park Service determines that publication as rulemaking in the Federal Register is unwarranted per 36 C.F.R. § l.5(b). This finding is consistent with hundreds of earlier partial and temporary park closures, the legal opinion of the Office of the Solicitor, and judicial adjudications. Picciotto v. United States. No. 99-2113 (D.D.C.); Picciotto v. United States, No. 94-1935 (D.D.C.); Picciotto v. Lulan, No. 90-1261 (D.D.C.); Picciotto v. Hodel, No. 87-3290 (D.D.C.); 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).Pursuant to 36 C.F.R.§ 1.7, notice of this temporary and partial closure will be made through website advisories, maps, fencing, and by posting signs 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.
Michael Commisso /s/ 8/4/2026
Deputy Superintendent
