Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.5, beginning at 7:00 am on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, through 8:00 pm on Friday, May 15, 2026, the National Park Service is imposing temporary closures of several National Mall and Memorial Parks (NAMA) locations, as a necessary safety precaution during construction activity that is a part of the NPS’s implementation of Executive Order 14252 Making DC Clean Safe and Beautiful and Executive Order 14189 Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday. The District of Columbia and NAMA will host signature events starting May 17, 2026, to celebrate America’s 250th Birthday, which will include, the President of the United States, Heads of States, Members of the Cabinet, local and state government officials, and the public. To ensure the District and NAMA are ready for these significant events, this beautification project must be completed by May 2026. The National Park Service has determined that in order to meet this ambitious timeline, closure of the park will be required for the renovation of the existing lighting system.
Specifically, at approximately 7:00 am on Friday, January 9, 2026 until approximately 8:00 pm on Friday, May 15, 2026, the following parks of the National Mall and Memorial Parks will be temporarily closed to pedestrian access:
This closure is necessary for the maintenance of public health and safety, protection of scenic values and cultural resources, implementation of management responsibilities, and the avoidance of conflict among visitor use activities during construction activity. This closure will serve to provide safe and secure staging, lay-down, and work area (including through the use of a secure fence perimeter) for the contractor to conduct renovations with sufficient stand-off distance for the safety of the public and to enable the renovation to proceed. This closure will allow for the completion of the projects in a safe and timely manner and enable restoration of these parks and sites for park visitors, future permitted events, and other park uses. Closure and detour signs will be posted.
This temporary and partial closure is not of a nature, magnitude, or duration that will result in a significant alteration in the public use pattern. Other nearby park areas will remain open to the public, and the duration will be as limited as possible to enable the work to be completed. In the event that work is completed ahead of schedule, closures for each park will be lifted as soon as is safely possible. The lifting of the closures will be noticed to the public. This closure will not adversely affect the park’s natural, aesthetic, or cultural values. Additionally, this closure will not require significant modification to the resource management objectives and is not controversial in nature. To the contrary, other NPS lands in the District of Columbia area frequently closed for construction activity to renovate, restore, and preserve NPS resources for future enjoyment by visitors. And although there is recent history of visitor use and permitted activity at these parks, comparable NPS lands in the District of Columbia are available for such activities.
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 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. Sept. 9, 2002) (per curiam); Picciotto v. United States, No. 99-2113 (D.D.C. Aug. 6, 1999); Picciotto v. United States, No. 94-1935 (D.D.C. Sept. 9, 1994); Picciotto v. Lujan, No. 90-1261 (D.D.C. May 30, 1990); Picciotto v. Hodel, No. 87-3290 (D.D.C. Jan. 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 will be made through media advisories, maps, 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/
Kevin Griess
Superintendent
