WASHINGTON - The National Park Service (NPS) is considering changing how visitors access the Fletcher’s Cove area in Washington, DC. The NPS invites the public to comment on alternatives that could:
1.
Change access to the lower parking lot by moving vehicle access to a new area on Canal Road (NPS’s preferred alternative).
2.
Change access to the lower and upper parking lots by moving vehicle access to a new area on Canal Road and by building a new vehicle bridge.
3.
Make no changes.
The project area is located on federal land between Canal Road and the Potomac River in the Palisades neighborhood of Washington, DC. This area is part of Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal National Historical Park and includes connections among Fletcher’s Cove, Canal Road, the C&O Canal towpath and the Capital Crescent Trail.
How to comment: The NPS is accepting comments on these options from November 6 to Dec. 13, 2019. The public can submit comments:
Online: Using the Planning, Environmental and Public Comment (PEPC) website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/FletchersEA
By mail: Send your comments in writing to:
Superintendent
ATTN: Fletcher’s Cove EA
C&O Canal National Historical Park
1850 Dual Highway, Suite 100
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Comments must be entered online or postmarked by Dec. 13, 2019 to be considered.
Public participation is vital to the NPS planning process. The 30-day public comment period is part of the Environmental Assessment and Section 106 procedures that the NPS is conducting in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act. Please be aware that the entire comment submitted, including personal identifying information such as address, phone number and email address, may be made publicly available. Requests to withhold such information from public release will be considered but there is no guarantee that it will be withheld.
-NPS-
ABOUT THE C&O Canal: Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park preserves and interprets the historical, natural and recreational resources of the C&O Canal. More than 5 million visitors a year enjoy the opportunities for recreation and understanding that the park has to offer. For more information, visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/choh
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
