NBC-4 Washington: New Climate Report Spells Out Danger to DC Landmark

More severe weather patterns, rising tides and changing landscapes due to factors like fossil fuel emissions point to a coming reckoning. News4’s Derrick Ward reports that locally, the signs are as close as some of our national treasures.

Thank you, NBC-4 Washington, for spotlighting the recent UN climate report and local impacts on the National Mall and for highlighting the Trust for the National Mall’s work to shore up the sea wall, save the endangered cherry trees, and protect the National Mall Tidal Basin for generations to come.

Framed by monuments and historic cherry trees, the National Mall Tidal Basin is one of our nation’s most iconic, significant, and beloved public cultural landscapes and commemorative spaces. A complex, 107-acre public place with remarkable scenic, recreational, and symbolic values, the Tidal Basin is a unique and irreplaceable element of the National Mall in Washington, DC.

The Tidal Basin holds a storied place in the national imagination, but its future is under threat. Without prompt and extensive action, this national treasure will be lost. Crumbling infrastructure and higher tide levels have led to daily flooding, making surrounding sidewalks impassible and endangering the roots of the beloved cherry trees. To solve these problems, the Trust for the National Mall in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Park Service launched the Tidal Basin Ideas Lab as an urgent call to action.

Go to Restoration and Sustainability — Trust for the National Mall learn more about the sustainable solutions the Trust is helping to build to preserve, protect and enrich the National Mall.