Norton Announces National Mall Roundtable, Next Thursday
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced a National Mall Roundtable for Thursday, September 18th from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. on Capitol Hill. The roundtable will focus on the recently enacted National Park Service (NPS) turf restoration regulations affecting events on the grass, food truck vendors receiving fines from the U.S. Park Police (USPP), food on the Mall, and transportation issues, including bringing a Circulator route to the Mall. In January 2013, NPS issued regulations that limited the use of the National Mall in order to preserve the grass around the National Mall. Consequently, most organizations no longer use the Mall for public events. NPS, which allows only one concessionaire to supply food on the Mall, has also asked D.C. to enforce D.C. regulations on prohibiting vending on streets that cross the Mall. Roundtable speakers will include Robert Vogel, NPS Superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, Caroline Cunningham, President of the Trust for the National Mall, Michael Mason, Director of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, and Thomas Luebke, Secretary of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.
"The National Mall is more than a District of Columbia landmark, it is the nation's chief gathering place for events of importance to the nation and to D.C.," Norton said. "The great changes underway to beautify the Mall are much appreciated, but there have been no hearings or public meetings that explain the current transformation of the Mall beyond the physical changes. The roundtable is important because the public has had no opportunity to speak out on the Mall changes that impact the many visitors and residents accustomed to using it."
What: National Mall Roundtable
Where: Capitol Hill, 2253 Rayburn House Office Building
When: Thursday, September 18, 2014, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Who: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton
Robert Vogel, NPS Superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks
Caroline Cunningham, President of the Trust for the National Mall
Michael Mason, Director of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
Thomas Luebke, Secretary of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts