October 9, 2008
Dear Coalition Friends:
In preparation for our next UPDATE about the October 20 meeting of the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission, we propose a brief quiz to test your knowledge of the National Mall. Where is the Mall? Who's in charge?
1. First, ask yourself how you'd define the Mall. Does it include the FDR Memorial? What about Jefferson? This may sound silly, but do you think it includes the Washington Monument? The U.S. Capitol?
Now, take a look the diagram we prepared which shows how the various federal and DC government agencies define "the Mall" and "the National Mall" in official statements, documents, and pronouncements.
Is it any wonder that Congress--and the agencies with management and review authority--seem confused? A Congressional Research Service report concluded in 2003, that there is "no statutory description or map of the Mall." It's time for one.
2. Second, who's in charge of the Mall? This depends on how what you mean by "the Mall" (see #1 above) and what you mean by "in charge." Congress? The National Park Service? The National Capital Planning Commission, which is the federal government's planning body for the Washington area?
We've created and updated a flowchart which attempts to untangle this question. Notice the role of "the public" at the bottom.
With at least 8 committees in Congress having oversight of at least 6 Mall managing agencies, no one entity is in charge. It's time for unified governance.
Both charts can be found on our website, under "What does the Mall need?" http://www.savethemall.org. Anything missing? Need further clarification? Send suggestions to jfeldman@savethemall.org.
Next up: Why does the MLK Jr. Memorial need to be reauthorized? What does that mean for a construction timetable?
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