“We find unity in our national parks. They heal us. They connect us. This gigantic, unnecessary arch does none of this and instead impedes on the doorstep to the final resting place of my family, friends and leathernecks...” NPCA's Jimi Shaughnessy
WASHINGTON — Today, dozens of veterans and public lands advocates from across the country testified against plans to proceed with the Triumphal Arch during a National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) meeting. The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) was joined by its Veterans Council members, among many in attendance and online virtually, voicing their opposition to the costly, unnecessary vanity project. The arch is proposed for Memorial Circle at the entrance of Arlington National Cemetery where hundreds of thousands of military service members and their families are laid to rest. At 250 feet, it would stand more than twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial, disrupt the historic connection to Arlington National Cemetery and permanently desecrate the viewshed of the National Mall.
After nearly four hours of shared testimony and discussion, the National Capital Planning Commission voted to approve the preliminary site and building plans. Many outstanding questions remain and must be addressed before it comes back for final approval in September.
“We find unity in our national parks,” said Jimi Shaughnessy, Veterans Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association. “They heal us. They connect us. This gigantic, unnecessary arch does none of this and instead impedes on the doorstep to the final resting place of my family, friends and leathernecks — not in triumph, but in vanity and selfishness.”
NPCA raised numerous concerns with the Trump appointed committee members, representing the nearly two million members and supporters of America’s national parks that want to see this landscape protected and accessible for all Americans, as it was intended. Advocates argue that the project lacks congressional approval and violates federal laws and regulations, including the Commemorative Works Act, which requires congressional authorization to build memorials on federal land in Washington, D.C.
“This land belongs to all Americans and it deserves protection, not degradation,” said Ed Stierli, Mid-Atlantic Senior Director for the National Parks Conservation Association. “The National Mall, Arlington National Cemetery and the surrounding national park landscape exists as it does today due to generations of deliberate planning, legal process, and public stewardship. The arch proposal lacks all of this including congressional approval, adequate environmental and historic reviews, and must not move forward.”
In recent weeks, news reports show that taxpayer dollars meant for our more than 430 national park sites across the country are instead being looted to support these D.C. projects. Due to the lack of transparency, it remains unclear how the proposed arch would be built or funded.
The Triumphal Arch has faced widespread opposition from across the country. The National Park Service received 100,936 comments in the previous ten-day window, overwhelmingly opposed to the arch, and its own summary records stated dominate themes included: no mitigation can restore a blocked view, and the process is rushed, opaque, and predetermined.
The National Mall and surrounding national park lands are the symbolic heart of our democracy—places where more than 30 million people gather each year to reflect, recreate, and commemorate our shared history. Previous National Mall memorials have been shaped by extensive public input and rigorous federal, historic and environmental reviews to ensure their designs reflected our shared American values.
“We remain committed to ensuring this arch never gets built. Not here, not ever,” added NPCA’s Shaughnessy.
For more about our concerns, visit npca.org/mall.
About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan, National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.9 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.
