clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Volleyball and soccer players advocate to keep the National Mall open for sports

It’s in response to a draft proposal from the National Park Service

A Severe Thunderstorn Passes Over Washington Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Local recreational sports fans met with Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton yesterday to give their feedback on a draft National Park Service proposal that could possibly make it harder to play organized sports on the mall.

Greater Greater Washington reported on the meeting, which came about after an outcry over the fact that NPS plans to take over the reservations process for 24 softball and multi-use fields near the Mall from the DC Department of Parks and Recreation. Sports fans worried that this could result in higher fees and bans on organized sports (NPS has put a lot of effort into the National Mall’s grass). Numbers floated in the proposal included $70 for a two-hour block or $30 for one hour plus a $10 admin fee. Norton committed to more meetings on the matter.