WASHINGTON — The National Park Service said it is ending its philanthropic partnership agreement with Georgetown Heritage. The organization was founded in 2014 to restore and revitalize the national parks in Georgetown, beginning with the first mile of the historic Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
Georgetown Heritage President Jennifer Romm posted a letter to Georgetown Heritage's website, in which she expresses frustration over the sudden end of the partnership, which was signed in 2019.
"We are shocked and disheartened that they never discussed this possibility with us before making their decision," Romm said in the letter.
Christiana Hanson, a spokesperson for the C&O Canal National Historical Park, said that notifcation was given on Feb. 28, approximately two months before the agreement will end on April 29. Hanson said the agreement was severed, "because of fundamental differences in the vision and values between the NPS and Georgetown Heritage," Hanson said in an email to WUSA9.
"While this philanthropic agreement is ending, the NPS remains firmly committed to our mission in Georgetown and all along the canal’s 184.5 miles," Hanson said.
Terminating the philanthropic agreement with Georgetown Heritage means that Georgetown Heritage's activities intended to generate philanthropic support for the NPS including fundraising events, donor cultivation, and electronic giving will also end.
Hanson said the Park Service will instead expand its work in Georgetown with the C&O Canal Trust. Ending the agreement does not change the operation of the canal boat in Georgetown, however. The District of Columbia government funded the construction of the canal boat, and Georgetown Heritage owns the boat, which it operates under a different agreement with NPS.
Ending the agreement does not impact the $12.7 million canal revitalization project scheduled to begin in the coming weeks.
The agreement will be terminated effective April 29, 2024.
Romm said the Georgetown Heritage Board of Directors will be meeting with city leaders, community supporters and a member of Congress to discuss how to best respond to the termination announcement.
Romm's full letter is below:
Dear Georgetown Heritage supporters and friends,
I am writing to inform you that on February 28, 2024, the Superintendent of the C&O Canal Historical Park terminated Georgetown Heritage’s philanthropic partnership agreement with the National Park Service with a 60-day notice. We are shocked and disheartened that they never discussed this possibility with us before making their decision. Nor did they consult with the District of Columbia Government which has invested nearly $7 million in this project.
The termination letter cites irreconcilable differences between NPS and Georgetown Heritage as the primary reason for their action. We respectfully disagree. Georgetown Heritage and NPS jointly developed a conceptual revitalization plan with an agreed-upon vision and goals informed by extensive city and community input and approved by the Old Georgetown Board/Commission on Fine Arts and National Capital Planning Commission.
It is clear, however, that the current park Superintendent and regional leadership no longer share the vision or commitment to revitalizing the Georgetown section of the C&O Canal that were developed with their immediate predecessors. We believe this sets a terrible precedent for the way a federal agency deals with the citizens and government of the District of Columbia. We remain committed to the vision and goals in the NPS-approved Environmental Assessment, and to seeing them implemented for the benefit of the citizens of Georgetown, the District, and the Nation.
With their limited resources, it appears that NPS plans to continue to manage the Canal by doing deferred maintenance rather than embracing the possibility of an active urban park that honors history while also creating an accessible and welcoming environment for recreation and respite as envisioned in the plan.
Since its founding in 2014, Georgetown Heritage’s board and staff have worked tirelessly to achieve a shared community vision of a well-managed, active, beautiful park that is accessible and safe. We are proud of our many accomplishments, including:
Raising more than $10 million from District government, grants, private philanthropy, and the Georgetown BID, including $2.8 million in hand to fund long-awaited towpath revitalization and accessibility improvements,
Designing, building, launching, and operating a replica canal boat that welcomed more than 35,000 visitors over two seasons.
Developing, funding, and completing:
a comprehensive boundary survey at the request of NPS
an interpretive and education plan in conjunction with NPS
a comprehensive structural engineering study of canal infrastructure that allowed the NPS to successfully apply for and receive millions of dollars in federal funds to address deferred maintenance.
a canal plan and approved Environmental Assessment and Section 106 review
The Georgetown Heritage Board of Directors will be meeting with city leaders, community supporters and our member of Congress to discuss this NPS action in the coming weeks as we decide how to best respond. We will be back in touch to inform you of our plans once we know more. If you have any questions about this, please don’t hesitate to contact me or the Georgetown Heritage staff. We welcome your thoughts and ideas.
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