Project Links
CWDW Management Plan Update/Environmental Assessment
Rock Creek Park » CWDW Management Plan Update/Environmental Assessment » Document List
The National Park Service, National Capital Region is creating an updated Management Plan for the Civil War Defenses of Washington (CWDW) also known as Fort Circle Parks. The plan will provide updated direction for the use, management, protection and where appropriate, limited development of these sites.
Managed by the George Washington Memorial Parkway, National Capital Parks-East, and Rock Creek Park, the CWDW parks contain historic Civil War earthworks as well as connecting corridors of land that originally were to have been connected by a Fort Circle Drive in accordance with the 1902 McMillan Commission Report. Construction of Fort Circle Drive began but was never completed; the forts and parcels of land were divided among three parks to manage. The existing greenbelt of parks along the ridge surrounding the city make the Civil War Defenses of Washington a significant open space element in the nation's capital. Park sites contain remains of forts, batteries, and rifle trenches that deterred the invasion of DC during the Civil War, including the remains of forts that were engaged in the Battle of Fort Stevens, the only battle that took place in the District of Columbia.
A Management Plan for the Civil War Defenses was completed in 2004. It placed the park areas into separate management zones focusing on cultural (historic) resource protection, recreation, natural resource protection, and visitor services, among others.
In the past 20 years since the plan's completion, the National Park Service has recognized that many of the open spaces within the CWDW sites are isolated and lack connectivity with other CWDW areas and to community facilities and resources outside of the CWDW. In addition, significant archeological and natural resources have been identified since 2004. As a result, some archeological resources are located outside of cultural and natural resource zoning designations.
In response, the National Park Service is creating a new plan to better accommodate future planning, address changes that have occurred since 2004, and outline expectations for enhancing park management, such as partnerships with civic associations. The objectives of the plan will include improving public knowledge about the resources within the Civil War Defenses of Washington, describing how the National Park Service manages these resources in order to protect them for current and future generations, examining recreational opportunities that are appropriate for a specific area and that do not harm park resources, and welcoming public input into the process.
A virtual public scoping meeting will be held on March 26, 2025, from 6 until 7:30
To Join:
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NmMxZTAxYzMtMGZkYy00ZjI1LWIyYWEtZDI1M2VhMWU1YjM0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2216ed5ab4-2b59-4e40-806d-8a30bdc9cf26%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2251be6f1b-2349-4ca2-97ee-f0452262bbef%22%7d on your mobile device or desktop.
Meeting ID: 228 378 697 110
Passcode: p6ck9Jz2
You can also dial into the call: 877-286-5733 (Conference ID: 974241009#). Meeting presentation materials and video recording will also be available at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/CWDWplan after March 26, 2025 and will be open for comment through May 9.
(202) 619-7184
Managed by the George Washington Memorial Parkway, National Capital Parks-East, and Rock Creek Park, the CWDW parks contain historic Civil War earthworks as well as connecting corridors of land that originally were to have been connected by a Fort Circle Drive in accordance with the 1902 McMillan Commission Report. Construction of Fort Circle Drive began but was never completed; the forts and parcels of land were divided among three parks to manage. The existing greenbelt of parks along the ridge surrounding the city make the Civil War Defenses of Washington a significant open space element in the nation's capital. Park sites contain remains of forts, batteries, and rifle trenches that deterred the invasion of DC during the Civil War, including the remains of forts that were engaged in the Battle of Fort Stevens, the only battle that took place in the District of Columbia.
A Management Plan for the Civil War Defenses was completed in 2004. It placed the park areas into separate management zones focusing on cultural (historic) resource protection, recreation, natural resource protection, and visitor services, among others.
In the past 20 years since the plan's completion, the National Park Service has recognized that many of the open spaces within the CWDW sites are isolated and lack connectivity with other CWDW areas and to community facilities and resources outside of the CWDW. In addition, significant archeological and natural resources have been identified since 2004. As a result, some archeological resources are located outside of cultural and natural resource zoning designations.
In response, the National Park Service is creating a new plan to better accommodate future planning, address changes that have occurred since 2004, and outline expectations for enhancing park management, such as partnerships with civic associations. The objectives of the plan will include improving public knowledge about the resources within the Civil War Defenses of Washington, describing how the National Park Service manages these resources in order to protect them for current and future generations, examining recreational opportunities that are appropriate for a specific area and that do not harm park resources, and welcoming public input into the process.
A virtual public scoping meeting will be held on March 26, 2025, from 6 until 7:30
To Join:
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NmMxZTAxYzMtMGZkYy00ZjI1LWIyYWEtZDI1M2VhMWU1YjM0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2216ed5ab4-2b59-4e40-806d-8a30bdc9cf26%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2251be6f1b-2349-4ca2-97ee-f0452262bbef%22%7d on your mobile device or desktop.
Meeting ID: 228 378 697 110
Passcode: p6ck9Jz2
You can also dial into the call: 877-286-5733 (Conference ID: 974241009#). Meeting presentation materials and video recording will also be available at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/CWDWplan after March 26, 2025 and will be open for comment through May 9.
Contact Information
Christine Bruins(202) 619-7184