The Majority of NPS- Managed Properties Are in the Circles, Squares, and Triangles Category

The majority of the 356 NPS-managed properties in the District are in the  circles, squares, and triangles category, representing about 60 percent of  the total properties that NPS manages in the District. Of  the 356 properties in the District, 242, or about 68 percent, are less than 1  acre in size. To identify what  recreational facilities are available on the 356 NPS-managed properties in  the District, we asked NPS officials to identify the (1) types of recreational  facilities on the properties, such as park benches, outdoor grills,  playgrounds, and picnic tables, or shelters and (2) sports-related facilities,  such as basketball and tennis courts and baseball and softball fields. NPS  officials reported that 202 properties had some type of recreational facility,  including 25 properties that had 205 sports facilities. NPS Rated Most Properties or Major Sections of Properties with Sports Facilities in Good or Fair Condition

According to NPS assessments and information reported in its FMSS  database, most NPS-managed properties with sports facilities are in good  or fair condition. Information on the Condition of Individual Sports Facilities Is Limited

We reviewed the documentation supporting the deferred maintenance  associated with each of the 24 properties for which we were provided  assessments to ascertain if it provided data that could be used to identify  the condition of each sports facility. Some Sports Facilities Posed Potential Safety Hazards

We did not have criteria to judge the condition of the sports facilities. NPS General Management Plans Identify Opportunities for Some Expanded Recreational Uses of NPS-Managed Properties in the District

Current NPS general management plans identify opportunities for some  expanded recreational uses, such as improving visitor experience by  increasing the number and scope of exhibits; creating a regional sports  complex; rehabilitating selected baseball/softball fields and basketball and  tennis courts; and creating new hiking trails. NPS has developed four  general management plans—two final and two drafts—that encompass 37  of the 356 properties and 4,196 of the 6,735 acres it manages in the District. The following are the new or expanded  recreational opportunities identified in the final plans:  Fort Circle Parks: The primary new recreational opportunity is the creation  of a new walking trail that connects most of the forts encompassing the  Fort Circle Parks system. These include Forts Dupont, Totten, Stevens,  Stanton, Davis, and Reno. Options Available for NPS Property To Be Used or Managed by the District for Recreational Purposes

There are a number of ways for NPS property to be made available to the  District for recreational purposes, including through a transfer of title,  transfer of jurisdiction, memoranda of agreement or cooperative  agreements, partnerships of public and private entities, and leases. As  discussed below, some of these options may be implemented by NPS and  the District under existing legislation; others would require enactment of  new legislation. In addition, the department said that NPS does not have the authority to  enter into a lease that allows erection of a structure on such property. Since FMSS did not  provide sufficient information to determine the condition of the sports  facilities, we inspected these facilities to identify any deficiencies, such as  cracks in the surface of tennis and basketball courts. For the most part,  these facilities appeared to be well maintained. GAO Comments

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Why GAO Did This Study

In recent years, several challenges have emerged concerning future recreational opportunities in the nation's capital. These challenges include ensuring that an adequate supply of parkland and open space is available to meet the needs of an increasing resident population and the estimated 20 million annual visitors to the District of Columbia's cultural institutions, historic sites, parks, and open spaces. GAO identified (1) the universe of federal property in the District of Columbia (the District) managed by the National Park Service (NPS); (2) what recreational facilities, including those that are sports related, exist on these properties; (3) the condition of the properties with sports facilities and the sports facilities thereon; (4) new or expanded recreational uses discussed in NPS general management plans; and (5) the methods that could be used to convey management responsibility for NPS-managed properties to the District government. Commenting on the draft report, Interior stated that NPS is addressing properties in the greatest need of repair or rehabilitation in priority order. It also said that it did not have authority to enter into a lease that allows the erection of a structure on its property. However, GAO believes that existing authority allows the NPS director to approve such leases under certain circumstances.

What GAO Found

NPS manages 356 federal properties in the District, covering about 6,735 acres of land. Most of the properties are what NPS refers to as circles, squares, and triangles, and are less than 1 acre in size. The second largest total number of properties are parks and parkways, which represent about 93 percent of the total acreage for the 356 properties. NPS officials reported to GAO that 202 properties it manages in the District had various recreational facilities such as park benches, outdoor grills, and picnic tables or shelters. Of the 202 properties, 25 had 205 sports facilities, such as basketball and tennis courts and baseball and softball fields. Most of the properties with sports facilities were in good or fair condition, according to NPS deferred maintenance records, but information on the condition of individual sports facilities is limited. While we did not have criteria to determine the condition of sports facilities, we inspected each of the 205 sports facilities to identify obvious deficiencies, such as cracks in the surface area of tennis and basketball courts. Based on our observations, most of the facilities appeared to be well maintained, but we found some sports facilities had conditions that posed a potential safety risk. NPS has developed four general management plans--two finalized and two in draft. These plans identify some opportunities for new or expanded recreation, such as rehabilitating selected baseball and softball fields and basketball and tennis courts; creating a regional sports complex; and developing new hiking trails. For example, one of the plans calls for the creation of a new trail that connects Forts Dupont, Totten, Stevens, Reno, and others as part of the Fort Circle Parks system. Options available for transferring management responsibilities for NPS properties located in the District to the District city government include transfer of title, transfer of jurisdiction, memoranda of agreement or cooperative agreements, leases, and partnerships with public or private entities. Some of the options would require enacting new legislation while others may be exercised by NPS and the District under existing legislation.