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October 30, 2007Dear Friends of the National Mall:Thanks to you, we matched the challenge grant from the Summit Fund of Washington DC and met our 2007 funding goal last year. Your help really mattered, because it let us move forward on a number of truly exciting projects. Now, to keep the momentum going, we are asking you to help match the Summit Fund grant for 2008. That means raising $63,000 by the end of this year. We have much news to report, some quite hopeful, some quite troubling. Threats to the National Mall’s open space and historic design persist. Shaggy grass and lack of amenities such as convenient restrooms, good food, parking, and comfortable places to rest, tell a sad tale of neglect. Meanwhile, pressure for new memorials, museums, and security barriers makes a mockery of Congress’ declaration that the Mall is a "completed work of civic art." Someone has to speak for the public about these assaults on the Mall. The National Coalition to Save Our Mall is an active voice—and sometimes the only voice—in the public consultation process on several controversial proposals, such as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor Center and the National Museum of African American History and Culture now being planned for locations on the Mall. Our concerns also extend to the placement of new security bollards at the Lincoln Memorial.
On the other hand, we have proposed creative solutions to some of the Mall problems. Our ideas for Mall expansion to accommodate future museums and monuments, and for a Congressionally-created independent Mall Commission, are gaining acceptance. But there is resistance. Government agencies think things are ok, that they can take care of whatever challenges arise. But given even their best intentions, they face cuts in funding and a huge staff vacuum caused by retirements, resignations, and leaves of absence.
Our constant call for planning has finally won the attention of the National Park Service. The NPS is now promising a new plan for managing the lands under its jurisdiction. That’s a start, but a comprehensive plan for the use of the Mall in its third century goes beyond the reach of the Park Service. We also take credit for the recent announcement that the National Park Service will conduct an Environmental Impact Study for its Mall plan, and we will keep you informed about progress and opportunities to comment and get involved in other ways. Last Spring, the Coalition created the National Mall Conservancy project, based on advice given to us by the head of the Central Park Conservancy during our 2004 public forums. The final decision to create the Conservancy grew out of strategic planning sessions with Coalition Board Members and our Advisors. We realized that the Coalition, as advocate for the Mall, was in danger of spreading itself too thin. The Conservancy will focus on educational and cultural programming as a means of improving the visitor experience on the Mall and reconnecting the DC community to this unique urban park. Existing projects, such as our popular National Mall map and historical guide and our new Citizen’s Guide to Recreation and Sports on the National Mall, are now programs of the Conservancy. You’ll hear more about the Conservancy in coming months at the Conservancy’s website nationalmallconservancy.org. One project on the drawing board is a web-based Virtual Mall Visitor Center and we are pleased to report a matching grant that can make this happen. A $5,000 grant from the Dorothea de Schweinitz Preservation Fund for Washington DC, which is administered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, will bring this idea to life. But we need your help to make it happen. When complete, the Virtual Visitor Center will be a one-stop Internet location to orient visitors before, during, and after they visit the Mall. This is a project we hope will also eventually complement a Mall Visitor Center in the Arts & Industries Building of the Smithsonian Institution. If just 10 of our friends each contribute $500, that project can move forward quickly. Of course, your contribution will help us meet the Summit Fund challenge as well. We are also planning educational and cultural programming and Mall tours, with local schoolteachers and interns from local colleges. This is an exciting way to inject young voices and ideas into the work we do and in thinking about how the Mall can better serve the local Washington community. Last year interns researched and prepared the Citizens’ Guide to Recreation and Sports on the Mall. This is the first guide to offer one-stop information about where recreational fields are located, how to get permits from the National Park Service and DC Parks Department, hours of operation, and a list of sports groups and clubs who use the Mall. This guide can be downloaded at Conservancy website nationalmallconservancy.org. A gift of $2,000 supports an intern for one full semester. Last but not least, our The National Mall: Stage for Our Democracy map is a huge hit. Over 140,000 free maps have been distributed on Capitol Hill, at local schools and hotels, at the DC Convention and Tourism Bureau, the DC Chamber of Commerce, and to federal agencies that host international visitors to Washington DC. It can be downloaded by clicking here. Despite all we have accomplished, we are still mostly volunteers who do a lot with a little. Your help makes it possible. Please continue your support. Sincerely,
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Copyright © 2004 National Coalition to Save Our Mall Inc. All Rights Reserved |
