NATIONAL PARK U.S. Department of the Interior SERVICE National Park Service Rehabilitation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and surrounding area ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT December 2009 Rehabilitation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and surrounding area ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT December 2009 NATIONAL MALL AND MEMORIAL PARKS [This page intentionally left blank] PROJECT SUMMARY The National Park Service (NPS) has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate impacts of two alternatives for the rehabilitation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and surrounding area located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The project area is one of the most popular destinations in the country, having served as the backdrop to some of our nation’s most historic events. The monuments, memorials, landscape features, and vistas within the project area constitute some of the most iconic and recognizable images commemorating presidential legacies and war veterans in the country, resulting in millions of annual visitors. Nevertheless, the project area is being used far beyond the capacity for which it was originally designed, and the physical condition of the infrastructure and circulation systems have deteriorated to the level of creating inefficiencies in park management and operations. In addition, several components need to be upgraded to address issues that were not anticipated in the original planning and design of the project area, such as security, accessibility, and nighttime visitation. Action is needed at this time to address structural deficiencies in the Reflecting Pool and to enhance the infrastructure, safety, and pedestrian circulation systems in the surrounding area. This EA presents two alternatives (the no action alternative and the action alternative with several options) for multiple improvements to rehabilitate and enhance the infrastructure, circulation, accessibility, and historic resources in three locations in the project area: the elm walks, Lincoln Memorial east plaza, and the Reflecting Pool. At the Reflecting Pool, upgrades are proposed to improve its functionality and sustainability and to formalize walkways along the worn dirt paths created by visitors traveling between the World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. To the north and south of the Reflecting Pool along the historic elm walks, the site furnishings would be refurbished and reconfigured and the walkways would be resurfaced to enhance public safety and visitor experience. To the west end of the elm walks, improvements are proposed to integrate accessible pathways between the Reflecting Pool and Lincoln Memorial east plaza with a permanent vehicular security system to replace the temporary concrete barriers that were installed in 2008 in the center section of the east plaza. The action alternative is the NPS Preferred Alternative (Options A3, B2.1, and C1) and the implementation thereof would result in long-term beneficial impacts to visitor use, public safety, park management and operations, soils, and vegetation. There would be long-term minor to moderate adverse impacts to cultural and visual resources and water resources in the project area. There would be no long- term effects on floodplains and transportation and no impairment to any of the above-mentioned resources as a result of implementing any of the options of the Preferred Alternative. This document is being used for compliance with both the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended and the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. Note to Reviewers and Respondents: To comment on this EA, you may mail comments or submit them online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/NAMA and follow the appropriate links. Please be aware that your comments and personal identifying information may be made publicly available at any time. While you may request that NPS withhold your personal information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Please mail comments to: Terri Urbanowski Denver Service Center 12795 West Alameda Parkway Lakewood, CO 80288-2838 RE: Rehabilitation of the Reflecting Pool EA iii PROJECT SUMMARY [This page is intentionally left blank] iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR ACTION Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 1-1 Purpose of and Need for Action ........................................................................................................................ 1-1 Objectives ......................................................................................................................................................... 1-3 Project Location ................................................................................................................................................ 1-3 Project Background .......................................................................................................................................... 1-5 Purpose and Significance of the National Mall and Memorial Parks ................................................................. 1-6 Applicable Federal Laws and Regulations ........................................................................................................ 1-8 Executive Orders and Director’s Orders ......................................................................................................... 1-10 Local Plans ..................................................................................................................................................... 1-10 NPS Management Policies ............................................................................................................................. 1-14 Scoping ........................................................................................................................................................... 1-15 Issues and Impact Topics ............................................................................................................................... 1-15 Impact Topics Dismissed from Further Analysis ............................................................................................. 1-17 CHAPTER 2: ALTERNATIVES Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 2-1 Alternative 1: No Action Alternative .................................................................................................................. 2-4 Alternative 2: The Action Alternative ................................................................................................................. 2-6 Construction Staging ...................................................................................................................................... 2-16 Mitigation Measures Common to All Action Alternatives ................................................................................. 2-17 Alternatives Considered but Not Carried Forward .......................................................................................... 2-19 The Preferred Alternative ................................................................................................................................ 2-20 The Environmentally Preferable Alternative .................................................................................................... 2-23 How the Alternatives Meet the Objectives ...................................................................................................... 2-24 Summary of Impacts ....................................................................................................................................... 2-27 CHAPTER 3: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT Visitor Use and Experience .............................................................................................................................. 3-1 Public Safety ..................................................................................................................................................... 3-6 Park Management and Operations ................................................................................................................... 3-9 Cultural Resources ......................................................................................................................................... 3-10 Aesthetics and Visual Resources ................................................................................................................... 3-25 Water Quality .................................................................................................................................................. 3-29 Soils ................................................................................................................................................................ 3-32 Vegetation ...................................................................................................................................................... 3-33 Floodplains ..................................................................................................................................................... 3-34 Transportation ................................................................................................................................................ 3-35 CHAPTER 4: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES