Civil War Defenses of Washington Management Plan Draft Environmental Assessment

The National Park Service, National Capital Region, along with the George Washington Memorial Parkway, National Capital Parks-East, and Rock Creek Park, seeks public input on a Management Plan/Environmental Assessment for the Civil War Defenses of Washington, also known as the Fort Circle Parks. This Plan/EA will serve as an amendment to the 2004 Fort Circle Parks General Management Plan (GMP) and will provide updated direction for the use, management, protection and where appropriate, limited development of these sites. The comment period will be open through June 15, 2026.

Proposed Action (Alternative B - NPS Preferred):
- Amend the 2004 General Management Plan for the Civil War Defenses of Washington to update management zone definitions, boundaries, and permitted uses across approximately 1,315 acres of parkland.
- Introduce new management zones, including Site Sensitive Recreation and Community Garden
- Rezone specific sites throughout the park system and in previously undesignated areas to:
- Maintain and improve resource stewardship practices;
- Support enhanced visitor services and interpretation;
- Expand opportunities for recreation and community gathering in appropriate locations;
- Improve connectivity and circulation between fort sites and surrounding neighborhoods; and
- Allow NPS to pursue partnerships and coordinated projects with local organizations and agencies.

Comments must be submitted in writing, preferably via an online form on the National Park Service Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website. From the project website, navigate to the 'Open for Comment' menu on the left-hand side and open the 'Civil War Defenses of Washington Management Plan Amendment Environmental Assessment' folder. Click the green 'Comment Now' button to access the online form.

Alternatively, comments may be submitted via U.S. mail to:
Superintendent
Attn: CWDW MGMT Plan Update
National Park Service
3545 Williamsburg Lane NW,
Washington, DC 20008

Comments must be submitted online or postmarked by June 15, 2026 to be considered.

Please be aware that all comments - including personally identifiable information (PII) such as your address, phone number, and email address - may be made publicly available. Requests to withhold such PII will be considered but cannot be guaranteed.

Document Content:

Civil War Defenses of Washington Draft Management Plan Amendment EA   (8.7 MB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.