*The National Park Service issued the following press release
(Washington DC) –The National Park Service’s (NPS) National Capital Parks-East and District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) are preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate the proposed construction of a portion of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail through Kenilworth Park.
Phase I of the proposed realignment would connect the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail sections in the southern portions of Anacostia Park with Kenilworth Park and surrounding neighborhoods, the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens’ River Trail, and the Bladensburg Trail in Maryland. Upon completion of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) activities at Kenilworth Park (a former landfill), Phase II of the proposed trail would follow a more park-based alignment along the Anacostia River and would include the new trail bridge over the Anacostia River in Kenilworth Park.
The proposed section of trail is located east of the Anacostia River in the northeast section of the District and extends into Maryland. The section would serve to link other sections of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, as well as other District tie-ins. The trail is a key component of the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative (AWI), which is the Framework Plan for revitalizing the District’s waterfront areas. The AWI is the product of the commitment made by 20 Federal and local agencies to cooperatively develop a vision for the Anacostia River Waterfront. At a point upstream from the Langston Golf Course, a new bridge would be built across the Anacostia River that would connect the trail to NPS land on the west side of the river, adjacent to the National Arboretum. This segment of the trail would then link to streets in the surrounding neighborhood, via the existing National Arboretum roadway system.
In 2004, NPS completed an environmental assessment that analyzed all three sections of the proposed Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. Since 2004, Section 2 of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail (West bank, from 11th Street Bridge to Benning Road Bridge has been completed. Section 1, East bank from South Capitol Street Bridge to Benning Road is currently under construction. The alignment of the third section of the trail has since been revised, offering an additional trail alignment option. The proposed alignment is the result of an effort to provide a better visitor experience through the park by routing the trail through the park land.
National Capital Parks-East has announced a 30-day public scoping period, from February 3 to March 4, 2011, to solicit public comments on this proposal. During this scoping period, the public is invited to identify any alternatives, issues, or concerns they might have with the proposed project so the NPS can appropriately consider them in the EA. Only written comments can be accepted.
Anyone may submit comments electronically at the NPS’s Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website (the NPS’s preferred method for receiving comments), or mail. The NPS will accept comments on the proposed project through March 4, 2011. Mailed comments must be postmarked by March 4, 2011 to receive consideration.
Written comments should be mailed to:
Alexcy Romero, Superintendent
National Capital Parks–East
Attn: Section-3 Anacostia Riverwalk Trail EA
Washington, DC 20020
Submit comments on-line by following the appropriate links at:
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/NACE
Before including a personal address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in a written comment, anyone providing written comment should be aware their entire comment—including their personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While anyone wishing to comment may ask the NPS in their comment to withhold their personal identifying information from public review, the NPS cannot guarantee it will be able to do so. Once the EA is developed, the EA will be made available for public review for a 30-day period. If anyone wishes to be added to the park’s mailing list for this or other announcements, please be sure to indicate that in their response.
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