Record of Determination for a temporary restriction of access and closures to certain parklands in Rock Creek Park and National Mall and Memorial Parks associated with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association event at the Kenne

Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.5, beginning Thursday, December 4, 2025, the National Park Service is imposing a temporary closure of certain designated parklands for security requirements associated with several Secret Service protectees, including the President of the United States, foreign Heads of States, Heads of Government, Ambassadors, dignitaries, and other local, state, and federally elected leaders attending the Fédération Internationale de Football (FIFA) World Cup 2026 Final Draw at the Kennedy Center. This closure will be in effect from Thursday, December 4 through Friday, December 5, 2025, as delineated in the attached map and as further delineated by fencing.

Specifically, at approximately 11:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 4 until approximately 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 5, 2025, the following areas of Rock Creek Park will be temporarily closed to pedestrian and vehicular access:

• Thompson Boat Center Parking Lot
• Thompson Boat Center Boat Center Bridge

In addition, there will be a temporary restriction of vehicular access and/or pedestrian access, as indicated below, to the following locations on Friday, December 5, 2025, from approximately 04:00 a.m. to approximately 2:00 p.m.:

National Mall and Memorial Parks Vehicular Restrictions

• Parkway Drive NW, between Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway NW and Lincoln Memorial Circle, NW.
• Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, NW between Virginia Avenue NW and Ohio Drive, SW.

National Mall and Memorial Parks Pedestrian RestrictionsThe following parklands will temporarily be closed to pedestrian access:

• Section of Rock Creek Trail from Virginia Avenue to Parkway Drive

Rock Creek Parkway Vehicular Restrictions

• Rock Creek Parkway (northbound and southbound lanes) from Virginia Avenue, NW to Shoreham Hill Drive, NW

Rock Creek Parkway Pedestrian Restrictions The following parklands will temporarily be closed to pedestrian access:

• The Washington City Canal Outfall section of the Rock Creek Trail.

These closures come at the request of the United States Secret Service and are necessary to provide a secure staging area as well as a secure perimeter with sufficient stand-off distance to protect the Secret Service protectees during activities in the District of Columbia. The temporary restrictions are also necessary to permit the Secret Service to perform security sweeps of the area, facilitate arrivals and departures, allow for security screening, and restrict access to the areas and buildings surrounding the protectee’s activities.

Less restrictive measures will not suffice due to the Secret Service’s security-based assessment that these park areas need to be kept clear, with which the United States Park Police agree. It is further anticipated that Secret Service personnel will temporarily restrict public access in these areas during the installation and removal of anti-scale fencing. These restrictions are expected to begin on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, from approximately 11:30 p.m. until approximately 2:00 p.m. on December 5, 2025, and until the removal of fencing by approximately 12:30 am on Saturday, December 6, 2025. These public access restrictions are necessary during fence installation to ensure the safety of the public as well as the personnel engaged in installation. A copy of the Secret Service’s map dated December 2, 2025, is attached and incorporated by reference.

This temporary and partial closure is not of a nature, magnitude and duration that will result in a “significant alteration in the public use pattern”. Further, the closure will not adversely affect the park’s natural, aesthetic or cultural values, is not of a highly controversial nature, and will not require long-term or significant modifications to resource management objectives.

Rather, closures such as these are commonplace for summits and other occasions at which heads of state meet with government officials and are necessary to provide the public with as much access as possible to park land while also providing for the security the Secret Service has deemed necessary for this event.

Accordingly, the National Park Service determines publication as rulemaking in the Federal Register is unwarranted under 36 C.F.R. § 1.5(b). This is consistent with hundreds of earlier partial and temporary park closures or public use limitations, the legal opinion of the Office of the Solicitor, and judicial adjudications. Mahoney v. Norton, No. 02-1715 (D.D.C. August 29, 2002), plaintiff’s emergency motion for injunction pending appeal denied Mahoney v. Norton, No. 02- 5275 (D.C. Cir. September 9, 2002) (per curiam); Picciotto v. United States, No. 99-2113 (D.D.C. August 6, 1999); Picciotto v. United States, No. 94-1935 (D.D.C. September 9, 1994); Picciotto v. Lujan, No. 90-1261 (D.D.C. May 30, 1990); Picciotto v. Hodel, No. 87-3290 (D.D.C. January 26, 1988); Spiegel v. Babbitt, 855 F.Supp. 402 (D.D.C. 1994), aff'd in part w/o op. 56 F.3d 1531 (D.C. Cir. 1995), reported in full, 1995 US App. Lexis 15200 (D.C. Cir. May 31, 1995). Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.7, notice of this temporary and partial closure will be made through media advisories, maps, and by posting at conspicuous locations in the affected park areas. Finally, pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.5(c), this determination is available to the public upon request.

Kevin Griess, Superintendent
National Mall and Memorial Parks