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Welcome to Earth Day Park
Earth Day Park is a living example of the United States Government's commitment to environmentally conscious landscape design and use of renewable resources. As part of the celebration of Earth Day 1994, President Clinton outlined a series of recommendations for federal agencies to increase "Environmentally and Economically Beneficial Practices on Federal Landscaped Grounds."
Earth Day Park embodies these principles, commonly referred to as "greening," on one of the last undeveloped sites on the National Mall. Earth Day Park features the use of solar energy along with beneficial landscaping practices.
Earth Day Park was a vision of Secretary of Energy, Hazel R. O'Leary, in 1994. This plot of land, which forms the roof of the Interstate-395 tunnel, was once a vacant lot overgrown with weeds and littered with trash.
Ground was broken for the park during Earth Day events in 1995. Dedicated on Earth Day 1996, it is now a beautifully landscaped park where a passerby can sit and enjoy the many sights, sounds and colors of Washington, DC.
Partnership
Many agencies and individuals shared Secretary O'Leary's vision to transform this area. The Department of Energy developed the park in partnership with the General Services Administration, the Department of Transportation – Federal Highway Administration, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the District of Columbia Department of Public Works.
Together the team developed the plans, obtained the funding, sought the necessary approvals, and constructed the park. The Department of Energy, together with the General Services Administration, have made a long term commitment to the District of Columbia to maintain the park. |