Hampton, Virginia - The National Park Service (NPS) invites public input from March 1 to March 31, 2022 on potential future activities and recreational uses within the fifty acre North Beach area, also known as Dog Beach or Area 4. This area is currently not a part of Fort Monroe National Monument. Public input will help shape a Rapid Visitor Use Assessment, which will inform discussions between the NPS and the US Army to take ownership of Area 4 and open it to the public.
Currently under the control of the US Army, Area 4 includes sections that require site remediation before the area could be added to the national park system. The presidential proclamation establishing Fort Monroe as a National Monument in 2011 looked forward to public resource interpretation and recreational opportunities throughout the monument, including the North Beach area. Contamination and safety concerns must be addressed before a transfer of ownership can occur and public use reestablished. The NPS is conducting the Rapid Visitor Use Assessment to inform the level of cleanup by the US Army that is needed at the site.
The National Park Service has prepared the following materials and events to inform the public about the study and to solicit public comment:
• An informative newsletter (pdf) can be found on the project website here:
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/northbeach under the “Open for Comment" tab and then click on “Newsletter."
• Two ‘virtual’ (online) public meetings on March 14, 2022 at 5 pm and March 15, 2022 at 10 am Eastern Daylight Time. See the project website at:
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/northbeach and the “Meeting Notices" tab for details. Duringthe meeting the National Park Service staff will describe the special resource study processand answer questions.
• An online public comment submission portal can be accessed online through:
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/northbeach and click the “Open for Comment" tab.
Office of Communications NPS Interior Region 1
National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior
Fort Monroe Rapid Visitor Use Assessment con’t, Page 2 of 2
• Submissions by mail can be sent to:
National Park Service, Region 1 / Park Planning and Special Studies Division
Attn: Area 4 Rapid Visitor Use Assessment / Martha Droge
1234 Market Street, 20th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
The public can find information about the study on the study website at:
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/northbeach.
The 31-day comment period will extend from March 1 to March 31, 2022.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
