Comment on NPS' Management Plan — Anacostia Parks and Community Collaborative

March 31 is the new deadline to submit comments on the National Park Service Anacostia Park Management Plan/Environmental Assessment.

Not sure where to start? Consider the recommendations from the March 6 #ShapeAnacostiaPark stakeholder meeting, some of which were:

Addressing access must involve meaningful engagement with community and focus on equity. Access has to be managed. More people/eyes in the park make it more safe.
Develop a comprehensive natural resource management plan for the Park.
Top priority for science/technology/ engineering/math (STEM) and science/ technology/engineering/arts/math (STEAM) is providing facilities and infrastructure in the park at a scale that supports educational programs, urban ecology programs, and outdoor education and stewardship opportunities for youth. Focus programs on youth who live near the park.
Simplify permitting process so easier to support programmatic events in park. Could a group like Anacostia Park and Community Collaborative get an “umbrella permit” so that member organizations don’t have to go through a lengthy permitting process?

Read the meeting notes for more ideas and to learn all that took place at this groundbreaking meeting.

Another source of recommendations is the letter (PDF) prepared by Anacostia Waterfront Trust and signed on to by 18 organizations.

Residents of Ward 7 neighborhoods next to Anacostia Park also submitted comments. Ward 7 leader Justin Lini live tweeted the event, storified in National Park Service: Fix our Park! The sample letter Lini prepared for community members is in the #Storify.