|
Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.5 (a), due to the unique security requirements associated with several demonstration events, raising both potential security and crowd management concerns around the Washington Monument on January 6 and 7, 2021, the National Park Service has taken the decision to temporarily partially restrict access to the plaza that surrounds the Washington Monument to authorized government personnel and to those people with tickets to enter the Washington Monument. No ticketed individual will be allowed into the area or allowed to remain in the area for more than 2 hours around the ticketed time of entry, the time beginning no more than 1 hour before entry and extending no more than one hour after entry for their scheduled visit inside the monument. This temporary public use limitation of the plaza, which is bounded by 50 flag poles and identified in the enclosed map, will begin at 6am on January 6 and extend until January 7 at 6 pm. The exact times when this security-based public use limitation will be implemented and will be lifted are subject to change, based upon the evolving schedule of the events in the park areas nearby. These temporary closures are necessary to provide a secure screening area for those persons interested in visiting the Washington Monument. This temporary security-based public use limitation will not adversely affect the park’s natural, aesthetic or cultural values; nor will it require significant modification to the resource management objectives. This closure is not of a highly controversial nature. Accordingly, the National Park Service determines publication as rulemaking in the Federal Register is unwarranted under 36 C.F.R. § 1.5(c). This temporary closure 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. Lujan, 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), 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 will be made by use of temporary fencing and other barriers, for areas affected by this closure and by notices to the public. Finally, pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.5(c ), this Record of Determination is available to the public upon request.
|
Last updated: January 6, 2021