Discussing Fletcher's Cove with Eleanor Holmes Norton & National Park Service

[Jamie Carracher]

I realized this hadn't been posted here yet. Eleanor Holmes Norton will be hosting a meeting tonight (6:30-8 PM Thursday, Jan. 30) with the National Park Service at the Cleveland Park library. The National Capital Chapter of Trout Unlimited will be there with Friends of Fletcher’s Cove to discuss what is needed to protect the cove for boating access to the Potomac. Also planning to bring up improved angling access in Rock Creek Park. If you do a search here, you'll see this is a topic close to my own heart.

Would love to see folks there who are available. 

Here's more info: https://static-promote.weebly.com/share/a4024363-da2b-4c3b-8df1-76c636852411

[Michael Lyons]

For those of us that could not attend, it would be great to hear a recap of the meeting at some point. Thanks in advance!

[Denny Mac]

second the motion, I had to work.

[Jamie Carracher]

The meeting was really informative for me. I'm a 10+ year of D.C. now and had never attended a public meeting before, and it was good to see the level of passion and transparency from our government officials, especially the local NPS folks. NCC-TU had a couple objectives: 

To show strong support for Fletcher's Cove as it seeks attention and funding to ensure it continue to provide access to anglers and boaters. On that account, we were successful. One of the NPS staffers told us after the meeting that she definitely took note of the interest from anglers in Fletchers. Stay tuned for more on what we all can do to help #SaveTheCove.

The other goal was to express interest in opening up more of Rock Creek to angling. It is technically not allowed north of Cleveland Park and no one knows why. The NPS folks took note and promised to get more information. The NCC-TU monthly email has updates on stuff like this, so definitely consider joining us and subscribing! https://www.ncc-tu.org/

Also of note for lovers of Rock Creek, the NPS is working on a plan to get the path behind the zoo reopened so walkers, bikers and runners don't have to keep going through the tunnel on that narrow sidewalk. They are also planning a pedestrian bridge south of the tunnel so folks don't have to try and scoot across on that very narrow sidewalk. There are several good holes back there that I haven't been able to fish in the years since they closed that portion of the trail down. Sounds like a 1-2 year timeline right now.